I'd Love You Either Way
by TapTapAlways
Summary: No-Powers Malec AU. The famous business tycoon Magnus Bane surprised everyone, a few years back, settling with a man just out of college. Now, happily married, the pair leaves Manhattan for a peaceful mountain town, owned mostly by him. But is Bane really the caring husband he'd like you to think, or are those deep bruises his husband sports token of an even deeper, darker secret?
1. Prologue

_No copyright infringement is intended - this is just some extra Malec. Totally harmless._

 _TapTap_

Kensington, in northern Indiana, was a small, friendly town where everyone knew everyone else, everyone knew everything about their neighbours and hardly anyone had successfully kept any secrets. There were hikers and a few tourists in the summer - drawn there by the beauty of the forests and the vastness of the hiking trails - but otherwise people rubbed along with each other peacefully.

The last few years, a non-local businessman had bought a good deal of the available property and come to own a large portion of their businesses, until he finally owned most larger companies. It had been very welcome and helpful at first, keeping the local business park alive, but after the third overtake, the mutterings had started.

It was therefore greeted with some suspicion, but mostly by cautious enthusiasm and unbridled curiosity, when he had bought the large lodge at the edge of town and it had become public knowledge that he meant to come live there, at last part of the time, having found himself charmed during his last visit. It was well-known, of course, that he _had_ visited, but almost no one had met him in person.

It was not so strange, then, that the moving company's efforts hardly went unnoticed, after local handymen eagery gossiped about the changes they'd been contracted to make to the house, and by the time a large, modern city jeep pulled up before the house, everyone who could make themselves an excuse to be nearby, was indeed just down the road. Along with quite a few people who could _not_ make an excuse but was there anyway.

The man stepping out of the passenger seat was like he had been described by the few locals who had worked at the right positions at his companies and had been lucky enough to meet him. He was styled almost over-the-top, looking more like a fashion designer than a successful business man. Of course, with that success came the ability to dress exactly like he wanted to.

He was wearing a doubtlessly expensive coat, his hair was layered with colour and an exotic cut, and what could be seen of his clothing was eye-catching indeed.

Stepping out of the car a moment later, from the driver's side, was a younger man with what looked like naturally spiky hair and a black shirt under a black leather jacket. Most of the discreet (and some not so discreet) onlookers first assumed he was just the driver, until the two men shared a kiss while they unloaded a cat carrier and a few (rather large, especially for a furnished house) suitcases and bags, and finally let out a large dog.

Well, a local shop owner thought for himself, as the first man disappeared inside the house with the pets, leaving his younger, blander companion to carry in the suitcases. This promised to be interesting.


	2. So Kiss Me

_Any descriptions of martial arts in this story is based on a knowledge of elementary physics,_ not _martial arts. Do not try this at home. Why isn't there a category for "heartbreaking fluff"? Because that's pretty much what this chapter is..._

 _Possible warning for triggers against violence because someone has bruises._

 _No copyright infrigement intended - this is just some extra Malec. Totally harmless._

 _TapTap_

Magnus walked through the rooms of the new house. He loved New York. All the excitement, all the people, but Alec and him both had agreed that having a country home slightly closer than their charming villa by a private lake, an hour from Florens, was a good idea. He had gifted Alec with the house in Italy as a honeymoon present almost three years earlier, after which they spent said honeymoon in it, enjoying the privacy the house afforded. Much as they loved the place, it _was_ a bit far, and though Alec - as always, really - put on a brave face, Magnus knew he missed the countryside terribly sometimes.

So Magnus had looked over his properties and remembered this charming little town, set between the mountains and the forests, and he had suddenly realised that Alec would love it here. It would be a good third homebase, for _both_ of them.

And now here they were. The house was large, and Magnus was gratified to see that both movers and contractors had done a good job. Most of the furniture were brand new, but there were also a few pieces taken from storage, which belonged to Alec and hadn't fit into Magnus luxurious studio apartment. Both because of space limitations and - in some cases - because Magnus' sense of interior decoration could only take so much assault. He would do anything for his husband of course, but, loving and lovely as he was, Alec had never asked for him to accept his sometimes terrible taste to be one of them.

Smiling as he let out his cat - Chairman Meow - from his carrier and unclipped Alec's dog - Church - from his lead, Magnus looked forward to unpacking their clothes into the huge walk-in-closet he knew to be upstairs. Alec still dressed like he had before they married - bland and without any colour sense (or colour!) - but his total lack of interest in shopping meant that as long as he stuck to muted pieces, Magnus got to purchase all his husband's new clothing. And boy, did he take advantage of that fact.

"I'd ask how you need so many clothes, but I grew up with Izzy," Magnus turned to see his husband (and how he loved to call him that, it never got old) move the last suitcases into the hallway and close the door. "Your sister never got through to your sense of style, that's for sure," Magnus teased, but smiled. "I'd say I was sorry about that, but I can't. You're fabulous just as you are, baby." Snickering, Alec stepped into Magnus waiting arms, giving him a short kiss. "Hardly. Well, at least I _married_ fabulous."

"Married _someone_ fabulous," Magnus corrected his grammar, slightly puzzled. Alec didn't usually do anything but picture perfect. Alec grinned back, as if he'd stepped right into an intended trap, and maybe he had. He didn't mind. "No, pretty sure you're just plain _fabulous_ embodied, "Alec smirked out. Magnus barely had time to object that, "Fabulous is never _plain_ ," before they kissed again. Magnus' last structured thought was that this move was _already_ worth it.

They had made it up to what was to at least _become_ their master bedroom, when Magnus was next able to think, and it was not as pleasant thoughts this time.

As Alec, without as much as a wince, Magnus noted, shred his shirt and sat down on the bed, several large, purple bruises came into view, immediately jolting Magnus out of his pleasant haze. "Oh, _darling_ , what have you _done_ to yourself?" he immediately cooed at the sight, dropping to his knees not for the reason Alec must have hoped for, but in order to look at the deep, painful-looking bruises more closely.

* * *

Alec sighed impatiently. "It is _nothing_ , Magnus, I _promise_ ," he tried, even though it was of little use, and he knew that.

When they first got together – it had been during the time when Alec attended University - Magnus had normally just ignored any bruises Alec might have - well, after one _very_ awkward conversation to explain just _why_ he was so often bruised, anyway - only avoiding them faithfully and occasionally questioning how he'd gotten a particular one which stood out to him. Strange as that might seem, it was not unusual that there was a funny story involved, and it never got very dramatic.

After Alec was thrown out by his parents after coming out as gay, Magnus had been more relaxed about it, knowing for _sure_ they could not be signs of abuse. Not that he didn't _believe_ Alec when he said something like that had never happened, but, well... it made it yet a little bit easier to be at peace with it all. Lately, though, he had started to react badly to finding Alec with any sort of marks.

Well, perhaps not _badly_ as such, as he never once got _angry_ or anything like it, just – distracted. He didn't blame his husband for them, either, he just… worried a bit too much for Alec's liking.

Alec sighed and pulled his legs up on the bed as Magnus stopped examining his bruised chest and had started to button his own shirt again. He _hated_ this. It made him feel self-conscious about his own body for the first time since puberty. It came with the territory as a martial arts specialist to sport bruises every now and again - just like Magnus got tension headaches eventually as a businessman - and for a while, he had been certain that his boyfriend, fiance and finally husband understood that very well.

It was true it had gotten worse with time, though. His brother, Jace, was not even remotely at the level he was, but as he complimented his training with weightlifting instead of archery, he was heavier when it came to muscle mass. The result of this was that Alec sported bruises even more often than he used to, these days, as nothing could persuade him to stop teaching and sparring with his brother. It wasn't like it was over the line to actually _dangerous_ , or anything. And they always used the special, recommended sparring surfaces Magnus insisted on. He stubbornly kept that promise. Jace might have thought it stupid, but he strongly suspected Clary was as relieved about it as Magnus was.

"Don't be angry. I am only worried about you," Alec turned his head away from the hand Magnus was attempting to cup around his cheek, pleading with him not to take this badly, not because he was angry, but because it only made his frustration worse.

"I am not angry," Alec was a terrible liar, so he knew Magnus believed him when he said so. "Just frustrated." He tried to smile, not doubting that it came out as a grimace instead, "I feel like I have to chose between you and Jace, and it kills me," he admitted. He had grown up learning that men didn't show emotions, but Magnus was slowly getting that out of him. When it came to situations with just the two of them, anyway.

"Oh, baby," Magnus voice was low and raw, full of understanding and sympathy. "Neither one of us means to make you feel like that. I know I do not approve of your foster-brother, but that is in terms of him dating my god-daughter. I am legally obliged to hate the man." It did not make Alec smile, as he suspected that Magnus hoped, but he must have found it encouraging that he was clearly listening, because he continued. "I am not trying to come between you and your brother, nor will we let this come between you and me, but it _worries_ me. It is not just the _bruises_ , _Alexander_ ," as always, Magnus said his name like only he could, "you ended up in the _hospital_ for a suspected _fractured wrist_ just two _months_ ago!"

"That wasn't from sparring with Jace," Alec pointed out automatically, though he wasn't sure if that mattered or not. He suspected that to Magnus, it really didn't. This was confirmed when he felt a kiss being dropped at his head and Magnus rose, only stating, "I'll make us some tea," and then he left the room.

Alec _hated_ this part.


	3. Have Some Tea

_I do not own the glitter - Magnus does._

 _TapTap_

Magnus sighed while he got the kitchen slightly more organised. He had sent down an assistant to get things ordered up and to put food in the fridge, but everyone had their system. He was sure Alec would have rearranged all his cooking supplies by morning.

Oh _Alec_. He knew they couldn't continue this way. It was one thing that his husband (never got old) occasionally sported the odd bruise from practise - even Bisquit herself (who was not quite a novice anymore, Magnus had to admit) had caused some, and he was honestly _fine_ with that. Other injuries, too, they happened every once in a while, and while he wished that he could be more _helpful_ , he _had_ married a martial artist. Much as he wanted to protect him from _everything_ , and he meant _everything_ , his Alexander had chosen a profession - and passion - where occasional cuts and bruises were an inevitable result of dayly life. Magnus understood that, hell, he _accepted_ it.

What he couldn't bear, were these new injuries; occurring increasingly often and seemingly getting worse by the season. Alexander had started to come home with bruises which went only deeper and deeper until Magnus had stopped assuming it was just a harmless consequence of sparring and teaching - Alex never seemed to even notice they were there - and had started to wonder if they actually caused him _harm_.

Would Alexander agree to a medical examination? Magnus pondered this for himself as he put the kettle on. Probably not. Or possibly he would, if it meant less occasions like this. He _hated_ doing this to him. For him, it was like getting a bucket of ice-cold water (and thanks to the ice-bucket challenge he actually knew that for a fact. Man, how he hated Jace sometimes) over his head, but for Alexander, it must be frustrating to no end.

He wouldn't change the love of his life for anything, nor would he alter anything about him, but they had to solve this somehow. He wouldn't let it come between them. Preferably before his continous - though unintentional - refusals made Alexander just as unlikely to instigate anything as he'd been in the early days of their relationship, when he was still unexperienced, nervous, and reluctant to admit that he was even gay, plain as that was to the people who loved him. The last thing Magnus wanted to do was drive him back towards that.

Sighing softly for himself, Magnus preparred two cups of tea - one to his taste, one to Alexander's - and flicked of the light-switch before taking one in each hand and going in search of his no-doubt annoyed husband. It was encouraging that he said he wasn't angry - Alexander was a _terrible_ liar - but he couldn't be pleased. He hoped he could make it up to him, somehow.

* * *

Alex heard Magnus' steps in the staircase as he ascended up to the second floor of the house. This place was _massive_. Success-oriented as his parents were, they could have never afforded a place like this, nevermind in the middle of what was admittedly a relatively small town.

It was nothing like where he had grown up however. Magnus had probably seen to that on purpose, if he knew him at all - and he _really_ did. Their house in Italy, too, was sizeable, but nothing like this. And places in New York only got so big, even if you had the sort of _insane_ money that Magnus Bane did.

Alec rested against the headboard and just waited, as he followed his husband's steps with his ears. He wanted nothing more than just to hold him, but it seemed like he wasn't allowed to. It made him consider excusing himself from sparring - just once or twice - so that Magnus wouldn't have anything to be startled by, and he _hated_ the thought. He didn't want to have to pick between anyone.

He kept silent as Magnus entered with two steaming cups - looking absolutely good enough to eat - but he held himself back from saying so, instead just accepting the offered cup. Magnus was wearing tight leather pants - the only garments in their wardrobes which matched - an absolutely outrageous purple, half-buttoned dress-shirt with gold embroidery and plenty of jewelry. He would have thought that any other man in that ensemble looked ridiculous, but Magnus pulled it off effortlessly. It was a moment before he realised that Magnus - who had sat down at the bottom of the bed, by Alec's feet - was speaking to him. He forced himself to pay attention.

"Would you agree to see a doctor, Alexander?" Magnus was speaking in a low voice, unusually uncertain and vulnerable. "I am _fine_ ," Alec stressed, taking a sip of his tea to hide his wince at the topic. Magnus sighed softly. "I know. But I worry, and you've gotten beat around a lot lately. It'd..." Alec looked up in time to see Magnus bite his lip, "it'd _ease_ my mind, and hopefully, that'd help. Besides, Alexander, you really should get checked out regularly, _especially_ with your profession."

"Would..." Alec wasn't used to use his words a lot, preferring haptic communication by far, but his time with Magnus had taught him that talking _helped_ , at least in these situations. And Magnus never judged him for being awkward with words. "Would that help you... stop... _this_?" he asked, hoping that Magnus would understand his vague question. He didn't know how to put it better.

As usual, Magnus answered him honestly, so brave when it came to emotions. Alec admired that about him. He was grateful for it, too, as they likely wouldn't have gotten together without it. "I am hoping that it would help," Magnus' voice was soft, "and maybe, there's a trick you and Jace doesn't know of that could leave your sparring a bit less... dangerous?"

He held up a hand, seemingly to still Alec's protests before they started, "I know that you aren't made of glass, Alexander, but I consider anything leading to bruises like _that_ ," he gestured to Alec's covered chest, "to be dangerous, and we might as well skip the argument about it, becaue neither one of us will change our minds."

"Alright," Alec agreed. He didn't doubt that Magnus was right - they were both stubborn when they wanted to be - and he really didn't want an argument. "I'll ask Hodge about weight classes and sparring. He might have some ideas," Hodge _did_ seem to know everything, "and I'll... I'll let you drag me to your doctor when we go back to town in three weeks, alright?" The brilliant smile on Magnus's face made that concession feel totally worth it.


	4. Gossip is a Vital Part of Any Community

_I do not own the fabulous, obviously. Or the books/series, either._

 _TapTap_

The inhabitants of the small town eagerly awaited their first sighting of the couple - if that was indeed what they were - and that quite a few of them had Magnus Bane for a boss only made them all the more interesting. While Lydia, who ran one of his offices in town, eagerly reported that he had showed up at work at ten am Monday morning - pulling of the feat of simultaneously looking like he stepped off of the pages of GQ and out of set for a rock video - it wasn't until Tuesday that any general sightings were made.

In specific, the young man dressed in black who had arrived with Magnus Bane was seen running - still dressed in black, at that - together with a huge but clearly very obedient dog, who was on a lead but obviously didn't need one to stay in place at its master's side.

It was only as he arrived back at the house, stopping on the driveway - empty, as Magnus Bane had presumably taken the car to the office - that someone got the opportunity to approach him.

Namely it was Raphael, living in the nearest house, bordering the vast lawns of the lodge, who pretended to check his mailbox and so got to say hi to their new neighbour as he stretched after his run.

"Hello there," Raphael's voice was - as ever - cynical, but he made an effort to be sociable. "Hi," the new neighbour greeted, smiling in a way which could only be described as shy. "I am your neighbour," Rahael gestured over to his own, much smaller house, reaching out a hand to greet the younger man. "Raphael Santiago." "Oh. Hi," the reply come somewhat awkwardly, but the handshake was accepted. "I am Alec Bane."

A small, barely-there movement of a raised eyebrow was the only indication of surprise. "Bane? So, you're...?" "Married to Magnus Bane, yes. Since two years, now." A small, soft smile accompanied the words.

"I see," Raphael nodded slowly. "His move here has been highly anticipated by many - he is the boss of half the town." The younger man just nodded. Raphael threw all caution to the wind. "If you excuse me for saying so, you look to be a few years younger than..." "Ah. Yes. Eight years. So it really isn't that much." the younger man, Alec, sounded like the comment was expected.

"You've heard that before, obviously," Raphael made an effort to make his tone excusing. "Trophy husband. Toyboy," Alec filled in with a shrug. "I've heard them all before. Lots of Magnus business associates used to throw those terms around - usually only once."

"Why only once?" Raphael's eyebrow had risen again. "It used to bother me, in the beginning." Alec's smile was slight and a bit crooked. "Magnus gets protective. The first party he brought me to lead to him putting three competitors out of business out of sheer spite... family matters to Magnus." "You matter to him," Raphael pointed out, almost smiling. The smile he got back assured him that this man was in love with his husband, if nothing else. "Yes. I am very lucky."

"We didn't talk much more after that, he struck me as rather shy actually. Not an exhibionist by far," Raphael protested the continuing barriage of questions at he sat in the local pub that night, nursing a beer.

"Opposites attract, that's that proven," Lydia, day-to-day acting chief of Bane Printing Inc, noted as she sipped her whiskey. "Bane is extravagant in all that he does. I've never heard him mention any 'Alec', though."

"You haven't?" the question, from at least three separate mouths, was answered with a headshake. "Do you talk a lot?" was the natural follow-up. Lydia shrugged. "He is social, and really rather nice, though a bit unusual. Not the type that's not forthcoming." "Like you," someone suggested, making Raphael snort in responce. Lydia rolled her eyes.

"He has mentioned being married, actually, he said something about spending a honeymoon in Italy in their villa there," eyerolls greeted this piece of information, "but as for names, there has been a few acquaintances he's mentioned as well as people on the phone, that sort of thing. The only real repeat mentions were 'Biscuit', I get the feeling it is a child. Maybe a niece or something? And 'Alexander'. Whoever _that_ is, Bane is _very_ fond of him.

"Alec could be short for Alexander," Alaric pointed out. "That Biscuit thing reminds me of something, but I cannot place it." "Biscuits, maybe?" Raphael pointed out dryly. The local chief of police rolled his eyes. "No, something a bit more relevant, you oaf!"

"Anyway," Raphael took up his story, intent on finishing it for good. "The boy was polite, nice enough, and clearly more than a little smittened with this Bane fellow you all work for." He ignored the mutterings and the, "Well you're the one living next to them!" statement that remark caused.

"They should be good enough neighbours, and if he really is this 'Alexander' Lydia's boss has been singing the praise of, they look like quite the nice, happy couple. We'll like them." Beyond that, Raphael refused to discuss it further or add more information as he instead focused on his phone. He had sarcastic comments to twitter, after all.


	5. I See You (Hiding In the Closet)

_I do not own Shadowhunters nor any related characters. I only own my own goofy plot._

 _TapTap_

Magnus came home late-ish, having spent most of the day doing some hands-on organising of his local businesses - a definite advantage of being on site for a while - and dropped the keys into the bowl on the hallway half-moon table.

He called out briefly to let let Alexander know he was home, but made himself some tea before he went looking for his husband. He noted with fondness during his brief visit to the kitchen, that Alexander indeed _had_ reorganised all the spices and all of the cooking supplies since last night.

Armed with tea in one of his favourite, sheer teacups of a vintage variation, Magnus prowled the house, moving upwards steadily in search of his other - more shy - half. He expected he was busy with something, as he had neglected to come greet him, but what he was _not_ expecting, was to find Alexander inside his fabulous, still only half moved-in-to closet.

Now Magnus was well aware his Alexander had spent only too much time in closets in the past, but _literal_ closets were more of Magnus' own thing. Maybe because he had always stayed out of the methaporical kind entirely.

"Alexander? What are you doing?" Magnus paused in the doorway, frowning slightly as he watched his busband move around the space, less confidently than he would have himself, but still with great purpose.

"Unpacking," Alexander looked up, a sudden uncertain hint appearing in his eyes. "I'm sorry, did you want to do it yourself? I just thought - I know your system, and you were working, and..."

"It is fine, Alexander," Magnus stopped any further explanation, taking a sip of his tea, making his tone soothing as he continued, "thank you." He was gratified to see his husband relax. No matter how much confidence Alexander gained, he was still so sensitive and prone to spook - much like Chairman Meow in that respect, actually.

"So, how's work?" Alexander, now assured that it was all good, turned back to folding shirts and placing them very tidely into drawers. Magnus smiled as he watched the strong, graceful movements of his partner. He could get so lost in watching him: he would probably be content to stand here just soaking in the sight for many lifetimes... Magnus blinked and forced himself to focus.

"I'm sorry, " he made himself meet Alexander's eyes, noticing that his husband was now watching him with a worried expression. He saw it transform to something akin to knowledge, before Alexander replied. "I said, how was your day at work, Magnus?" Magnus had to take a sip of tea to help his suddenly dry mouth at the way Alexander (and Alexander only) could make him weak just by pronouncing his name.

"It was good. People are friendly enough and the businesses run well. And I always did like a chance to see things for myself, on the ground level. Not that I can be everywhere... hence me having my little team of "Shadowhunters" around," Magnus teased, using eleven-year-old Clary's term for his little gang of trusted shadows. This little group of people whose judgement and report he trusted completely, he sometimes sent out to the ground level and up of all his companies to spot things he could not possibly get a grip on from the boardroom. They were just one more reason for his boundless success.

Alec had been one of them, once upon a time, as a way to pay for his own college fees, but by the time they married Alec's face was too well-known to continue and his adoptive brother had taken his place, as everybody seemed to know about Magnus' new partner within five minutes of them going public.

They had done so after Alec told his parents they were an item - coming out to them in the same process - which lead to him rather suddenly living with Magnus as they had thrown him out without warning for being "unnatural". Magnus could never understand that argument. How was love unnatural at all, never mind _more_ unnatural than shunning your own child?

"Right," Alec chuckled and started unpacking coat hangers for all of his husband's extravantant looks. He seemed utterly unbothered that Magnus was still leaning against the door post, watching his every move attentively. The business magnate assumed it was to do with habit. He had always loved to watch Alexander busying himself doing anything, and as his fiance (at the time) had finally understood that there was not an ounce of critisism in his gaze, he had also stopped minding.

Magnus knew that within minutes, he would finish his tea, put his teacup aside and step in and help, but until then, he leant his head against the white wood of the door post and just enjoyed the view.


	6. Where Everybody Knows Your Name

_I do not own Shadowhunters, I only own my AU._

 _TapTap_

Alec had always loved cooking. He had used to cook for his little siblings, spoiling them with increasingly complex masterpieces and delicious deserts. He loved it just as much to cook for Magnus, but if he was properly honest with himself, those nights when he had a lot of people to cook for - his siblings and Magnus and his god-daughter and maybe even both her parents - when everybody he loved, and all their family was there, those were his favourites. Generally. There were a few memorable evenings with only Magnus and himself he could recall which definitely made the top list, as well.

Because of this, it was no surprise that Alec soon found himself in the local supermarket. Magnus had been accustomed to having a cleaner in and someone else to stock his fridge - when he didn't live off of take-out, that was - and while Alec allowed for the cleaner at the New York apartment, he had done all their shopping and a lot of the cooking, for years. It was not a chore, after all, with all the modern, state-of-the-art equipment Magnus owned.

Alec had been puzzled about that bit at first. While Magnus was generally a bit of a show-off, having a perfect kitchen and never cooking in it was a bit extreme, even for him. Then, he had discovered that Magnus _did_ cook after all, and _man_ , if he could cook!

This rare indulgence, as it was on Magnus' part, always resulted in exotic, fabulous food the kind of which Alec had never tasted before. Not even when Magnus eventually took him around the globe for various vacations as a treat for them both, did they come across many places offering true competition. Even in Magnus' countries of inspiration, Alec rarely ever tasted something as lovely as Magnus' own recipes, prepared by him. Their influences were varied, but they were always delicious, always colourful, and never failed to get Alec thoroughly impressed.

Walking through the isles to get some ripe tomatoes, Alec thought for himself about the fridge at their home here. It had been filled when they came, but the ingredients were generic and they needed more milk anyway.

He made his way through the store slowly, taking his time in locating things and remembering where to find them later. He actually loved shopping in a new store - there was a sort of excitement in the novelty - and he liked even better to slowly make it his own neck of the woods, finding his way until he knew where every single thing was located.

Magnus, who was nothing if not extravagant, only ever shopped in the small delicacy store near his apartment, and - somewhat ironically, with his reputation - he was a bit of a sucker for habit. That had always amused Alec. Of course, said store took advantage of the prestige of such a well-known clientele and would always make sure to keep stocking Magnus' go-to-items.

Picking up apples, muchrooms and baked potatoes, it took Alec a few minutes to realise he was being watched. Not overtly, and certainly not in a menacing or alarming sort of way, but everybody he passed was peeking at him, as if half beside themselves with curiosity. He supposed that was only natural with newcomers in such a small town.

It was not until he reached the cereal division that he realised there was more to it. He grabbed that strange, chocolate-and-high-fibre-at-the-same-time cereal Magnus liked so much and turned only to spot a (literally) little old lady reaching in vain for the flower. Easily picking a packet down and handing it to her with a smile, he did not expect her to say what she did. Or rather - not the second half.

"Oh, thank you dear," she answered as she took the packet, only to look at him one more time and stating, rather than asking, shocking him a little bit, "Alexander Bane, is it? Mr Bane's husband?" It said something about his husband's reputation that she didn't mention _his_ first name, but Alexander was more focused on the fact that she knew who he was.

Gossip was expected in a place like this, but they'd been here for two days and she knew what he looked like? He was not sure if he was alarmed or impressed, so he contented himself with a simple, "Yes, that's me." Offering his hand, he offered, "I go by Alec. Only my husband uses Alexander. If I hear that name from anybody else, I am in real trouble!" Chuckling, the older woman took his hand, introducing herself as, "Theresa Gray, dear, but you may call me Tessa. And I see." She smiled in a grandmotherly fashion. "It is an 'only my mother' sort of situation, isn't it, dear."

"My mother doesn't call me anything," Alec replied evenly, putting Magnus' cereal into his cart and carefully keeping his voice even. He did not believe in deception (which he was rubbish at, anyhow), but he did not have to actively _cause_ gossip, just for that.

Much to the old lady's credit, she did not respond beyond a slightly raised eyebrow, and only asked him if he could be a dear and help her reach one more thing. She did not have any other reason in doing so than that she needed it, and didn't want to end their conversation with him feeling awkward, and he willingly helped out.

Alec never even noticed that his shirt rode up slightly and exposed a deep bruise on his side, and no one (there were a few people stealthily watching him, still) really read anything into it, in that moment. But they did remember it, and that would prove harmful enough, come another day.


	7. We have One Another (Through the Drama)

_Copyright infringement not intended, of course._

 _TapTap_

Magnus came home from a long day of board meetings and pulled his tie off along with his coat. He rarely wore one, but today he had gotten the urge, and now he was getting an even stronger urge to toss it far away. The best thing about wearing a tie, after all, was getting to take it off.

He called out to let Alexander know he had come home but didn't truly expect a reply. He could hear the distinct sounds of music, humming and the clatter of something in the kitchen, so he didn't doubt that his husband was absorbed into his cooking.

Removing his shoes and gloves, Magnus made his way up to the master bedroom - now almost decorated, even! - and removed his businessman's fashion in favour of only slightly fitted jeans and one of his husband's comfortable sweaters.

That done, he padded barefoot into the ensuite to remove his makeup, but froze in the doorway. He had always had a sensitive nose, and though it had no doubt been cleaned impeccably - his husband was nothing if not tidy - he could still smell the fait lingering scent of blood in the air. Had Alexander hurt himself? Swallowing, and moving to get his make-up-pads, Magnus hated that he thought what he did.

There was a time, when he could have just assumed that Alexander had gotten a small injury at work - not that he worked, when they were out here, and he felt _so_ guilty for being grateful for the fact - or that he'd accidentally cut himself in the kitchen. Now, he didn't know what to think and he couldn't stand the sudden, irrational thought that all tangible evidence had been tidied away not because his husband was a naturally tidy sort of person, but because he wanted to hide this from him.

Removing his makeup almost hastily, not taking the pleasure in his process - whether it was putting things on or removing them - that he usually did, Magnus made sure to go downstairs again as quickly as he possibly could, not wanting to prolong his own doubt.

He stopped again in the kitchen doorway, looking at Alexander as he cooked, yet unaware of being watched, then stepped into the room at an instrumental pause of the song, when his lover was bound to hear him.

Like expected, Alexander looked up. This was followed by a smile, and then a small wave, two fingers covered in plasters. "These new knives are wicked sharp," Alexander chose for a greeting, putting down whatever he had been doing to give Magnus a kiss. "I should have known that - they're brilliant to cook with, by the way - but you know, we can all be stupid sometimes…"

Feeling extremely relieved, and even a bit silly at his panicking - what had he been afraid of, that Alexander would have hurt himself on _purpose_? That didn't even make any sense - Magnus smiled into their sweet, chaste kiss and slotted effortlessly into his husband's side. "You had me worried for a moment - I could smell the blood in the bathroom," he confessed.

"Oh, I am sorry. You know I'd tell you if I really hurt myself somehow, even if you were at work," Alexander promised, looking guilty. "You never tell me about the bruises," Magnus reminded, making every effort to keep his voice soft, affectionate, anything but an accusation. The last thing he wanted was an argument. He and Alexander very rarely ever fought, and he would like to keep it that way.

"Because I don't _notice_ them, I'd _notice_ a major injury!" To Magnus relief, Alexander's face remained open, his stance relaxed, and his voice was full of laughter. "I am not a complete disaster about injuries, you know. And I _did_ notice I got a bruise today when I trained - I smacked myself under my feet with a bokken." Shaking his head, fondly, Magnus dropped a kiss at Alexander's temple. "Well, if it any comfort, I love you even though you're so clumsy," he assured him, smiling at the inevitable (and expected) stream of protests.

* * *

Their kitchen table here was considerably smaller than the huge, family-prepared one in their Italy house, and even the kitchen/worktable in Magnus' Manhattan flat was larger, no matter that this house was so much bigger. Alec liked it, even though that didn't make sense. It gave him an excuse to lean his legs together with Magnus' under the table as they ate.

In New York, they ate in the living room a lot, but he lived the little nook in the kitchen here and this old table he had found at an antique store sale while he was at University. He had never moved many of his things into their Manhattan flat. Magnus was being gracious about it, but he could tell his older husband already had his style in that place set and so didn't really _want_ to, so he never pushed.

He didn't _mind_ , living in distinctly Magnus' flat, because their house in Italy was just that, _theirs_ , and he always felt welcome at the loft, even if it was Magnus' apartment. He felt like it was a welcome into his life, years of it before him, and didn't see the point of changing everything around. He had made a lot of parts of Magnus' life better - he'd told him so over and over until Alec believed him - so why change the ones which had worked fine before? Surely changing what could be improved upon was enough?

"What are you thinking about, dear?" Alec smiled, taking Magnus' hand across the table. "Just different places which are home?" "You like it here, don't you?" Magnus asked in responce, smiling. He closed his eyes and groaned, as soon as he asked the question, as he'd just taken his first bite of the food. "Oh, Alexander, this is better than even your normal cooking!" "Yes, I do. And thanks. Glad you like it." Stabbing his homemade pasta with his own fork, all Alexander felt was contentment.

* * *

"No, you are going to show me, and that's final!" Magnus giggled, playfully wrestling his not-really-resisting husband into the bed and tugging off his soft, thick socks.

Cursing himself for reacting like this again, Magnus, scrambled for some of that lighthearted atmosphere back. Alexander's left foot was fine, but the right had a large, seemingly deep bruise running right across the sole. No wonder he thought he imagined Alexander was limping as they ascended the stairs.

He felt more than heard how his younger husband sighed and fell back onto the bed properly from his partly propped-up position. "How about I get some comfrey to put on that? Or arnica?" Magnus kept his voice steady and soft, trying to keep all accusation or interrogation away. "Sure. Thank you, Magnus." Alexander, too, was clearly making an effort to keep his voice steady and non-confronting.

* * *

Letting his head drop back, Alexander lay in bed and waited. He had been - foolishly, maybe - hoping that having had some warning (and knowing Jace had in no way been the cause of this particular injury) Magnus would not be as upset this time.

To make matters worse, as he returned, salve in hand, Magnus took to massaging it into the bruise so carefully, and Alec had to fight not to squirm. Years of archery and martial arts had left him with calloused, rough hands (which Magnus said he liked, fortunately) but his husband's hands were rose-petal soft and Alec had always found them endlessly tempting. He would never tire of Magnus touching him. Making sure to breathe steadily, he closed his eyes and tried not to remember how long it had been (which was honestly not that long, in actuality, it just felt that way) since Magnus had properly touched him.

He was torn from his self-inflicted trance by his husband's voice, for the first time holding a tinge of accusation. "If this is so hard to stand, Alexander, you could at least ask me to stop." Opening his eyes hastily, Alec hoped his confusion was clear, because he never wanted Magnus to believe he didn't want him touching him. Quickly, and stumbling as he tended to do with words, he tried to explain that since he knew how much Magnus hated seeing him hurt, the least he could do was to not enjoy the process!

He had run out of words, so he stopped speaking. That was when he saw Magnus slowly start to smile. "Of course you're allowed to enjoy me touching you, Alexander," he purred softly, "knowing I am not hurting you, and everything is fine now, bruises aside, is very comforting. In fact..." very gently, he replaced a clean cotton sock over the mixture to keep it on the foot and away from the sheets, and smiled like a predator, ready to crouch and leap.

He didn't lower himself to any chesy lines, he just moved gracefully up Alec's body and kissed him. And they laced fingers into hair, hands came to rest over arms or a back and fingertips caressed skin, all the petty things and small arguments became ludicrously unimportant. It was just about them, and they were _fine_. They had one another.


	8. Lydia Is Not One To Swoon Without Cause

_Copyright infringement not intended, of course. Nor any offence to men. I am not trying to suggest anything but that quite a few pregnant women think that men are oblivious about pregnancies, and I think most people who aren't either currently pregnant, or else mothers, probably are to be honest!_

 _TapTap_

Lydia went through the normal morning rutines on sleepy autopilot. She was normally not this tired in the mornings, but she managed. Rutine had changed very little since the empty top-floor glass office had become inhabited. Mr Bane usually left around lunchtime, spending the afternoons alternating between his smaller businesses in town (there were plenty, after all) but in the mornings he was here. When he actually came in differed - she'd arrived just before six am to find him already present once and on his first morning he hadn't showed up until ten - but it seemed that he was present today.

Deciding to take advantage of the opportunity for a chat, Lydia took a stack of papers which required signing (how she loved not having to hassle with safe postage for those any more!) and went up to his office, down the hall from her own.

As always, the powerful man was dressed to dazzle as much as to impress, and - more unusually, at least as far as she knew from the two weeks they'd worked together this far - he had a clear lovebite just under his jaw. He made no effort whatsoever to hide it and that didn't surprise her.

"Magnus," she greeted him as he invited her in when she knocked on the side of the open door. "I have some paperwork for you, and I'd like a minute about the Davidson prints, if you have the time?" "Of course. What do you need?" She was grateful that her boss, now that he was around so much more, was such a decent person. So many in his position were not.

* * *

Magnus preened invardly as his employees looked at the bite Alexander had left on him around midnight – they were no doubt gossiping. He didn't mind being the subject of gossip, he was too used to it, and this morning he was too thoroughly relieved at having had that short but useful talk with Alexander to care even if he had been more sensitive. It had felt like they'd had space between them, lately, and that was gone. It felt like his entire being had made a collective sigh of relief.

He had only been in for about half an hour when Lydia came and knocked at his open door - he believed in an open-door policy, and besides, most of his employees were plenty scared of him as it was - and he invited her in right away. She placed a stack of papers at his desk and started to talk about a large order they'd gotten, when she swayed on the way to a chair and he had to get up and catch her to prevent her from hitting the floor.

Unceremoniously, he lifted her and carried her out to the couch outside of his office. He answered the frantic questions of what happened calmly. "She swooned." "We need to call for a doctor, it is..." "Nonsense," he cut that idea off as he sat down by Lydia's legs on the long couch. "And, to quote a dear friend of mine, 'only a man would suggest such a thing', or something along those lines." Magnus chuckled at the memory of Jocelyn snapping that in Luke's direction once, so many years ago. Looking over at Lydia, who had her eyes open now, he asked, "You must be a while along. Four or five, if I may ask?"

"Four or five what?" One of the administrative assistants asked confusedly, prompting Magnus to wave those who shouldn't be there away. "And _back to work_. Months, though," he specified for Lydia's benefit in a lower voice. "Unless I am mistaken in that you're pregnant and we really should call for a doctor." "Five," was Lydia's warm responce. "How did you know?"

"Oh, I recognise it," they were alone now, no one brave enough to dare contradict his "manager voice", "I have a dear friend - she used to babysit me many years ago - who was going through a rough patch while she was pregnant. She married young and her husband was perhaps not the best choise, but then he got ill. It was terribly bad, to be honest, and not the ideal way to go through a pregnancy. But I helped her out, so I know how it was."

"Did they solve it?" Lydia wanted to know. "Oh, he died, before the baby was born. She remarried a _much_ better choice after she was done mourning, and had recovered from all of that..." there was clearly much more to the story, but he dismissed the details with a wide gesture. "I took charge of my dear goddaughter the first half year, actually, while they sorted themselves out. Now you've never multitasked until you've done it with a baby on your hip. More men should try it." Lydia was smiling even more warmly at that last bit, he noted. "Was it recently?" "Oh, no, little Biscuit is in _college_ now, this was back when I was just a few years into my career. But I would never have had it any other way."

* * *

"So no wonder he talks about the girl so much, he helped _raise_ her." Lydia finished the story and sipped her tea. "Did he really carry you out of the office though?" Cat, the lookal doctor, looked sceptical. "Oh, yes, without any trouble, too. Trust me, Bane is _built_ under those suits," Lydia shook her head slightly in wonder.

"Crushing on your boss, Lyd? I am wounded!" the bartended joked from his position behind the bar, wiping excess water off of clean glasses. Lydia rolled her eyes. "Of course not, John. I just like Bane. He is a very good boss. I am grateful he is not some bossy shit I have to stand now that he's here more. He even gave me permission to work from home the upcoming year, should I need to. He's really kind." Cat smiled at the exchange, finishing off her beer. It was nice that their investor was a decent person.

It was almost ironic, that these events would actually come to work not in his favour, later that summer, but the very opposite.


	9. There Is History here

_I mean no copyright infringement. For this chapter, let me just give you a warning for absolutely horrid levels of homophobia. (Not that any levels of discrimination are alright, but you know, there is still a difference between "facepalm, you're ignorant" and "I hope you go to jail" if you know what I mean.)_

 _TapTap_

 **Three years earlier.**

This moment felt alien. Magnus was no doubt laughing at him, but Magnus was never spiteful or cruel, so Alec didn't mind. They were sitting in Magnus' extravagant New York loft apartment, and Alec's graduation certificate was lying in front of them at the counter. He had just turned 23, and now that he was finished, Magnus had promised to take him for a holiday, saying that he really needed to see a bit more of the world than the few American states he'd visited so far.

As a result, they had just come back from spending three weeks in Europe, Magnus' treat, to Alec's full certificate awaiting them in the mail. It was awesome, and a bit scary, at the same time.

While they'd been in Florens, Italy (which had been Alec's absolute favourite part of the journey, prompting Magnus to promise to take him back some day) they'd gone up to this tiny village where they grew olives and grapes, and Magnus had proposed to him in the garden of the villa they'd been renting while they were there. The night after saying yes, Alec had admitted he kind of felt like he never wanted to leave. (He did not know it, but Magnus had already made an offer to the current owners, hoping to buy the place. Maybe, he hoped, they could even have their wedding there.)

"Suddenly, I feel adult," Alec admitted, Magnus' soft, loving laughter greeting this announcement. "Shut up. Just because you turned thirty last year," he quipped back, without any menace to it. "I wasn't saying anything," Magnus defended himself casually, resting his head against Alec's shoulder so that Alec could feel his smile.

They remained another week in New Work, before Alec had to go back home to the small town where he'd been raised and brought up. His parents relied heavily on him and his younger sister to babysit their baby brother, who was many years younger than them.

Magnus had finally been persuaded to go with him, this time. Alec had worried about that in the past. They had been together for about two years now, but Magnus had always declined to meet Alec's parents before. He wasn't out to them, true, and he was certain that that'd go over badly and end with a lot of yelling, but they were family after all and he did not want to hide from them. And he _absolutely_ didn't want Magnus to feel like he was his dirty little secret, no matter how much the older man enjoyed that song.

He had stopped to think it was because Magnus wasn't serious about him long ago, though. Not only because it was obvious that Magnus cared _a lot_ , but also because he'd been utterly eager to meet Izzy and Jace when an opportunity arose about eight months into their relationship. So when Magnus said coming out to his parents was a big step, that the fighting he was expecting before it all settled could be distracting and distressing and would he _please_ wait until after he had graduated from college, Alec had decided to believe that he meant exactly what he said he did, and he had waited.

But now it was the day; he was arriving back home after his graduation trip and he was bringing his fiance. There would be yelling because his parents were old fashion, but they'd work it out and it would all be fine. He was still nervous, though.

His nerves grew as he drove the rented car home, Magnus sprawled beside him in the car, looking like a huge jungle cat of some sort. At least he knew Izzy would be really excited that they had gotten engaged. She adored Magnus, once she'd gotten out of the blind awe of realising Magnus was the best practitioner in the states of her chosen, favourite, ballet-inspired martial art. Of all the things about Magnus to be intimidated by, Alec thought with amusement.

Like they'd agreed, Magnus hung back as Alec entered the house, giving him the chance to speak to his parents _before_ introducing his boyfriend. Or, well, it had _been_ boyfriend when they decided on that bit.

"Alexander!" Alec cringed at his mother's use of his full name - he only ever liked that when it came from Magnus' lips - but let her hug him anyway, before being engulfed in the puppy-pile which was his younger siblings.

"Hi there, son. We've missed you," Robert stated from the doorway to the dining room. "Izzy's been telling us you were bringing someone today? Here we thought we were your first stop home!"

"You are," Alec assured his father, smiling. "But I lived with them in New York for a week. We met while I was at college, like, a fair while ago? But they live in New York." "They? You're not going bigamist on us, are you son?" Robert's face was open and unbothered, but there was no telling if that was because of the idea not being very disturbing to him or that he was just joking and was too sure it wasn't like that. Alec sort of assumed the latter. "No, just the one person," he promised. "So, where is she?" Maryse prompted. "You know we are delighted to finally meet this someone, Alec, and to see you dating! You should absolutely be more social, at your age!"

"Actually..." Alec could feel himself sweat and decided to just take the plunge. No need to drag it out any longer. "I haven't been dating girls because I do not. Date girls, I mean. _Like_ girls, even..." he knew he was blushing, but he pressed on. "I am gay. My... I am bringing... his name is Magnus. He's my boyfriend." There was really no need to use the f word in this situation, and engagement news could come later. He didn't need to push his luck. His parents were entirely silent, standing there as if made by stone, utterly frozen. Then the argument started.

It begun like he had expected it to, honestly. They told him to get real, be serious, and not to be this silly. They'd told him to get a grip. He'd assured them he was completely serious several times, even telling them Magnus was the one who had taken him on a tour of Europe and that he was in love with him. Gradually, the tone changed.

From looking at him as if he was confused; calling him silly and immature, his parents started to back off, putting distance between them before finally calling him a _violation of natural law_. He didn't know what to say. He had fully expected for them to be upset, but _not_ for them to speak as if he wasn't even _theirs_ any more.

His mother had just delivered a particularly nasty blow verbally - Izzy's arguments doing nothing to deter her - when Magnus stepped into the room, all businessman's pose and purpose. His father had even started to do that characteristic check-over he did only to men he considered deal-worthy, when he noticed the black nail-polish on Magnus' nails and froze.

Magnus was less flamboyantly dressed than usual for this occasion, not wanting to "rock the boat" as he'd said when Alec had objected, but in the end it didn't matter what he wore. He was Magnus Bane, and he did not take lightly to anybody hurting those lucky few he cared about.

Alec had heard of Magnus' legendary way about him in the boardroom, knew so many people in his many businesses who were afraid of him, but he'd never seen that side of him for himself, not before now.

In this moment though, Magnus stepped in between Alec and his parents and defended him, making even Maryse and Robert Lightwood cover before his rage. He did not take more than a minute to rip them to shreds, methaporically speaking, finishing the job with telling them that "no one speaks to my fiance like that, and if you ever do so again I shall take you to court for slander." Then, with a quick whisper in Izzy's ear, he led Alec out of the house. They had never come back.

Izzy and Jace had brought Max an hour later to the hotelroom Magnus had gotten them - the suite at the local hotel - together with several bags of Alec's stuff. Izzy admitted she wouldn't have thought of that, but that Magnus had whispered to her to pack for him. Magnus admitted in turn that this was exactly what he had been afraid of, having asked around a tiny bit about Alec's parents in business circles, and that was why he had asked him to wait.

Alec had come back to New York with Magnus two days later, staying in his glamourous penthouse from then on, and the next year they had gotten married. Alec's parents had not been there, and by then he had not missed them.


	10. Conversation In the Car

_I mean no copyright infringement._

 _TapTap_

Alec and Magnus' weeks in the small mountain town ran on smoothly, and before long they were on their way back to town. Magnus was a good driver, but a very reluctant one, so Alec found himself at the wheel of their large black car as usual. He didn't mind - in fact he loved to drive, especially if he got to choose the car - and their trip was pleasant.

Back when they met, Magnus had used to have a very dreary car for must-travels when he was too impatient or too independant for a driver, but ever since the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante he'd bought Alec as a one-year anniversary present, he had let Alec do the decision making on everything vehicle-related.

"Do you mind?" "Hmm?" Alec asked in turn, brought out of his musings by his husband's voice. "Do you mind?" Magnus repeated, "Going back to New York, to the loft? I know you've never felt quite at home there. You always refer to it as mine, not ours," he added.

"Because it _is_ yours, Magnus," Alec noted pointedly, seeing his husband frown from the corner of his eyes. "That's not a bad thing," he explained, still keeping his eyes on the road, "but it is true. You had the place long before you met me, and you don't feel the need to hide that previous life from me! I've always felt welcomed there, even though it is yours. Maybe _because_ ," he amended. Ignoring the fact that Magnus was watching him very closely, he pointed out one last thing. "I might never call it _ours_ , but I do call it _home_ ," he noted, and he didn't need to watch him to know that Magnus was smiling.

* * *

The drive back to the city was long, and they made sveral stops along the way, mostly because they could, but both men enjoyed it. Magnus took great pleasure in encouraging his husband to eat greasy on-the-go food the martial-arts-teacher normally found too unhealthy, not that Magnus usually ate that way himself, either. He had used to dance the ballet as a younger man, and while he'd given that mostly up around the time of him meeting Alexander, Magnus was still an avid practitioner of a ballet-inspired martial art and so called "wizard's tai chi".

When they finally reached Magnus' penthouse suite, stars were out - hidden as most of them were by the light pollution - and Magnus noted his Alexander yawning as they took their laptop and overnight bags up to the flat, along with the Chairman's cat carrier and an equally sleepy Church.

Magnus settled his own things, so used to travel after all these years, and let his cat out so that he could reaquant himself with his familiar surroundings, and then he leant against the door frame and watched silently as Alexander cared for his dog and unpacked mechanically. When he yawned the third time in less than a minute, Magnus finally stepped in.

"Leave it for tomorrow, darling," Magnus stepped up close to his husband, so that he could whisper the words seductively into his ear, "and come to bed. You need sleep. Come on." Alexander went unusually easily, asleep within a minute after Magnus had coaxed him to bed. Smiling softly, Magnus got himself ready as well, and joined his deeply sleeping husband in bed. It was good to be home, but he was really fine with wherever, as long as Alexander was there.


	11. Memories

_I mean no copyright infringement._

 _Warning for mentions of grave homophobia._

 _TapTap_

Alec woke from the sun sneaking in through the window of Magnus' penthouse suite in the center of Manhattan. Magnus was long gone, likely off to work with vigour after his three week long self-inflicted banishment to his small-town businesses.

Yawning, Alec got up from his husband's huge - it wasn't even rectangular any more, as it was wide enough to be a square - bed and padded into the luxurious ensuite. He remembered his awe as Magnus' first took him here for a weekend, and then that week after his graduation, after they'd spent weeks touring Europe and had gotten engaged.

Suddenly not smiling any longer, Alec went through into the kitchen, still wiping his hands on a towel he dropped in the laundry basked on the way. This was also where Magnus had taken him not long after that, when his parents unceremoniously declared he was no longer their son as no son of theirs would be gay; and threw him out. Magnus had taken care of his student room, putting things into storage after politely asking what he wanted from it. Alec had waved it away and just gratefully accepted Magnus' offer to let him live here.

Taking a peek at the clock, Alec noted that it was still hours before he was required at work. Lessons in martial arts were largely an evening activity, so that was usually when Hodge needed him to chip in and help. Work was actually how he had met Magnus - he had studied upstate but gotten a part time job working for Hodge when he had lived in New York with Izzy for one summer.

Hodge's dojo and martial arts studio was well liked and very respected, and Alec had liked it there even before he had met Magnus, who was a silent partner mostly and basically only rarely contributed expertise in his own field, as well as helping Hodge with the financial side. Knowing what he knew of the man now, Alec had to laugh at the thought of finding Magnus Bane in the back room of _anywhere_ , doing _accounting_ of all things. No matter how "relaxing" he claimed to find it.

"You're in a good mood. I thought you looked a bit sad there for a while, but you seem to have gotten over it." Magnus' voice, spoken from one of the multi-millionaire's favourite perches against a door post, almost made Alec drop the coffee pot. "Don't do that!" He argued, but they both knew there was no bite to it. Magnus smiled and walked further into the room. "What were you thinking of with such focus?"

"Just how I came to live here..." Alec had to smile at his husband's protective frown as he spoke the words, "and how I met you. At Hodge's, remember?" Magnus smiled widely. "Yes. I had brought Biscuit with me for classes and she'd gotten a nosebleed. You were very cute." Alec shook his head.

"It seems like so long ago, and like she was so little!" "And then she grew up, you introduced her to your brother and now she's already getting married!" Magnus shook his head. "I better dance with Cinderella while she's here in my arms!" Alec blinked. "That was one of your obscure musical references, wasn't it?" "Yes, Sweat Pea." Magnus confirmed, dropped a kiss on Alec's cheek, and made off with his coffee cup, which was just so typical of him.

Alec poured himself another cup and realised only several minutes after he'd gone that he had absolutely no idea why Magnus had been in the apartment. Ah well, all of that was just expected, living with Magnus Bane.


	12. Summer has Begun

_I mean no copyright infringement._

 _TapTap_

It was the first morning in June when they next woke in their country house, the sun streaming in through windows which let in merely light and no sound for the first time since the very early spring when they'd last been out of the city. They'd come here for a few weeks, then, but this time they were staying during June and half of July, and as Hodge had summer-help in the studio, Alec was free to stay until the end of August, if he wanted to. Magnus would probably be travelling to a series of glamourous events during the end of the summer, anyway, and Alec never enjoyed those. These days, he only came if it was a special occasion. Normally, Izzy went to galas in his stead - she was much more the type and _she_ enjoyed them.

"Awake?" Alec smiled as he felt Magnus' breath ghost across his neck. "Mhmm..." he mumbled in responce, closing his eyes again, hoping to coax Magnus into trying to wake him some more. A slight chuckle told him that he hadn't fooled him, but Magnus still dropped a gentle trail of kisses down his neck, mumbling sugar sweet nothings across his skin as they both came more aware slowly, relishing the beginning of their vacation.

"What do you want to do today?" Alec finally mumbled, one eye only open to see Magnus' smile as he ran a careful fingertip down Alec's side in a caress which had all the time in the world and no real agenda. "Stay in bed and talk for far too long about nothing... it has been months since we last had time to do that." Magnus suggested. Alec snorted, getting a raised eyebrow in responce. "Care to share that thought, Alexander?"

"Stay in bed and _talk_... I really married an old man, didn't I?" He had barely managed to finish his teasing sentence as his husband westled him down and growled in playful menace. "You take that back!" Magnus threatened, his stern voice barely hiding the fact that he was close to laughter. "Never!" Alec challenged back, trying to get his own back but failing. Like sparring with Jace, Magnus was - less martial arts experience aside (or in Magnus' case, simply _different_ as in tai chi and ballet instead of kung fu and jujitsu) the other man was simply _stronger_.

Magnus snorted, holding Alec down and kissing his forehead smugly, before letting go so that they could both curl up against one another, side by side again. "Showoff," Alec muttered in reply, but there was no heat in it. He didn't mind that Magnus had more experience or was stronger - be it a wrestling match or his husband's status as a business tycoon - he knew it would never be used against him.


	13. So It Begins (And It Isn't Good)

_I mean no copyright infringement._

 _TapTap_

Magnus was lounging in the wickery couch outside on their back pateo, watching Alexander work the luxurious bricked barbeque he had splurged on out here. Much as he enjoyed cooking, he did so sparsely, but with Alexander around with his continous habit of making food endlessly, Magnus had made an effort in planning the interiour and - indeed in this case -exteriour of this house to accomodate his husband's favourite hobby.

They had a pool, as well, but it would not be filled with water and ready to use until next week, not that Magnus actually minded. He was perfectly fine, actually, just lying here and watching his husband fuss about, entirely in his element.

Things got even better when the Chairman Meow finally dared come out from underneath the bed (Magnus had known for a long time that his cat was quite shy and didn't like things to change - if nothing else him hiding for a solid week when Alexander first stayed over was a clear tip-off) and attempted to jump into Magnus' lap.

When that didn't work, he tried to climb the sofa, like he used to gracefully climb the side of the couch at home, but here he got his claws stuck and had to be rescued by his owner, pitifully meowing. It might be Magnus' imagination, but he thought he saw his cat sending a death glare to Church, when the huge dog effortlessly jumped up and lay down next to Magnus' feet.

* * *

Alec looked up from his cooking when there was some motion at the corner of his eye, and could only smile at the scene revealed. Magnus, who had been lying on the wicker couch he'd specially gotten and placed so that he could spy on Alec whenever he used the barbecue (that habit had really used to trouble him back when they first started dating, but now he merely basked in his husband's attention) had been joined by their pets, and had tilted his head back leisurely as he petted his purring cat, while Church rested his head peacefully on Magnus' feet and seemingly napped. Alec had to tear his attention away to keep from burning the meat.

Carefully keeping his attention on what he was doing instead of his (perfect) little family, Alec remembered the day when they first got Church. Magnus had had the Chairman already when they met (he kept being the size of a kitten though, but these days Alec knew better than to let it fool him) and while Alec and the cat got on well enough, he had admitted to preferring dogs.

He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but after they'd moved in together, Church had been one of Magnus' first presents - and there had been many of those. Sometimes, Alec wondered if Magnus was trying to spoil him because he thought no one had spoilt him enough previously. His fierce and beautiful husband did have a tendency to be a little bit silly like that sometimes.

* * *

It was the next day, when the Chairman was hiding in the bathroom and Church had refused to leave the wine cellar - which was the coolest room in the house - ever since they let him in there in the morning, that Magnus decreed that they ought to be social; meet some of their neighbours, and take advantage of the excuse that their own pool wasn't finished yet, while they had the opportunity. Much like usual when Magnus got extravagant ideas into his head, Alec agreed with an amused smile.

The huge (certainly so for the small population of the town) semi-public pool which was sponsored by a handful of the local Bane companies, and for the use of their employees, was just filling up with people again after lunch when they arrived at a few moments past two in the afternoon.

They'd arrived with T-shirts over their swimming trunks (Alec's T-shirt was dove-grey over black trunks, while his hsuband wore green and purple) and Alec wished he could have kept his shirt on. He'd carefully played with light and angles over the last few days, hiding a set of spectacular, finger-print-decorated and deep-looking bruises covering the entire left side of his torso from his husband's constantly worrying gaze.

Naturally, as soon as he - with a grimace - pulled his t-shirt off, Magnus eyes caught the difference in skin-colour immediately and his face grew guarded. It was obvious that he'd hidden them, and Alec didn't blame his husband for looking like a thunder-cloud.

Unfortunately, Magnus was not the only one who'd noticed Alec's painful-looking bruises, and Alec was certainly not the only one who noticed the owner of half the businesses in town glaring daggers at his younger husband for daring to reveal his torso in public. Just as unfortunate, no one but Alexander and a passing child saw the look of adoration in Magnus' eyes as he helped his husband put sunscreen on his neck after their swim in the pool. All they saw was that Alec hurriedly put his t-shirt on as soon as he could after leaving the water. They could not know, could they, that Alexander was shy.


	14. The Deep Breath Before the Plunge

_I mean no copyright infringement._

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"I would have understood if you had spoken to me, you know. You didn't have to hide it from me." Alexander looked away, not wanting to see the lightly chastising look in his husband's eyes. He cleared his throat before replying. "I know, Magnus, I do, it is just that lately..."He turned back quickly when he heard his older spouse laugh.

"Right. In other words, you were horny and didn't want things to develop into a cup of tea instead, did you? Well, I brought that upon myself, didn't I?" It was clearly a rethorical question. He ignored the immediate blush on his husband's cheeks, as well as his stammered, disjointed apology. "I can live with that. No more hiding, though, Alexander. Could we agree on that? I know I've been obnoxious about your bruises lately, but I don't want us to become one of those couples who hides things from each other and essentially lives separate lives though they sleep in the same bed. Assuming that they do."

Alec winced, looking back on the meat slowly marinading next to the salad he was making. "Me neither," he admitted, sighing. "I swear I didn't do it on purpose. "I believe you," Magnus dropped a gentle kiss on Alec's neck and went over to drop back into the wicker couch which was slowly becoming his new favourite. Chairman Meow came out of hiding immediately to demand ear scratches.

They were back out at the back of their house; Alec was making dinner and Magnus was helping by staring at him and trying not to drool (both the dinner and the cook warranted it, though).

"This is a nice little town. I am glad I invested here," Magnus stated after a few moments, picking up his wineglass from the small table next to the couch and twirling its contents. "As am I," Alexander replied with a loving smile in Magnus' general direction, yet unaware that he'd beg to leave just a few days later. Here in this perfect moment, still not knowing about what the next few days held in store, they were smiling and in love, and everything was _wonderful_.


	15. Rumour Has It

_I mean no copyright infringement; this is all just written for fun._

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Magnus first noticed the very next day at work. Most everyone was slightly nervously silent around him on occasion – it came with being the boss and all - but there were a few more friendly faces around, such as his manager Lydia. Regularly, that was, as that morning, those faces were the blandest of all.

Magnus didn't think much of it - still having Alexander's adorable smile as he made breakfast pancakes in his mind - but voices were cooler and eyes more suspicious than they had been for a long time.

When he first noticed the whispers, he didn't take much note of that either. He was used to be the subject of a lot of gossip, rumours and whispers, and he had long stopped to be bothered by it. He didn't really connect that something was distinctly _up_ \- something was _wrong_ , even - until lunchtime, when Lydia arrived with a stack of papers and a harsh facial expression, and instead of staying for some friendly chatting as she had started to do while he signed, she walked straight out of his office, actually slamming the door behind her.

Magnus was thus puzzled when he arrived home only to find a very upset Alexander. It took him well over ten minutes to make his husband talk, and when he finally did it did not enlighten either one of them too much.

Alexander had been stopped twice on his normal run by people asking him if he was alright, and it had been the same thing in the store. Alexander had gotten used to people looking at him here, but he had never gotten the whispers before – not in such a condensed form as this - and different from his husband, he very much _did_ take it personally.

"I have no idea where this comes from," Magnus admitted, kissing Alexander on the cheek and gently enveloping his husband with his arms. "I haven't done any takeovers or anything else people love to talk about lately. But I promise, Alexander, whatever it is: these things have a tendency to blow over. Things will go back to normal." Magnus was not to know, of course, just what people thought, nor how hard it would be to change their minds.

* * *

"There might be a perfectly rational explanation! We shouldn't judge so rashly." Lydia, as always, was the voice of reason. John, her man, nodded slowly as he poured Alaric a beer. "Maybe, but you have to admit it looks pretty bad." "Well..."

"Let's look at this rationally," Alaric reasoned, nodding his thanks to John and taking a sip before starting to list facts on his fingers. "One: Bane picked you up when you fainted, and easily, so we know he is strong. His husband is possibly fit, but Bane might easily be stronger. Besides - in cases like this it is all about power - being stronger might _help_ , but it is _not_ a requirement. What matters is we know he is definetely strong enough to leave such vivid imprints."

"That leads us to two," John noted with a grimace, "Bane is older than his husband and a very powerful figure, isn't he? Capable of covering a man who had to have been very young when they met, right?" "Still in college," Lydia agreed. "He is so nice, though, it is..." "Three," Raphael suggested. "Such a powerful man that nice and chivalrous? Obviously hiding something."

"And four, did you see those looks between them when Alec took his shirt off? Something was _not_ right there," Tessa decided. The local doctor, Catarina, sighed. "And five, to complete the hand; Alec Bane moves as people do who have healing injuries, generally. He seems sporty, so I thought nothing of it. A few bruises, an injured wrist? Might easily be polo or soccer or absolutely anything. Then again..." She sighed.

"We should speak to them, but we cannot speak to Bane, whoever tried it might easily lose their job," John's voice was a concerned warning to his other half. Lydia sighed again in response. She knew he was right, and she did have a baby to think about, now. It was not the time to make such a powerful enemy.

"Those things are obvious and must hurt - I will talk to the husband myself," Cat voluntered suddenly. "Say I noticed and offer to help out if he needs it. We'll see if he bites. Or, more likely, what the excuse is. If it is far-fetched, then we have more reason to be worried than mere conjecture."


	16. Whatever They Say, I Love You So Much

_For anyone unfamiliar with the term, an Eskimo kiss is when you gently touch noses with someone._

 _I mean no copyright infringement._

 _TapTap_

Ever so gently, Alec untangled Chairman Meow from the coathanger he had managed to get stuck on, and lifted the kitten-sized, adorable cat up to eskimo kiss him. "Are you getting bored inside this big house, hmm?" He had found himself picking up on Magnus' habit of talking to the cat quickly after moving in with him, and it always had the cat purring and curling up to bask in the attention. Maybe it reminded him of his daddy.

"You could go out in the garden. You're not afraid of Church any longer, are you?" he carried the cat, who was curled up on his arm, leaning onto his chest and purring like a tiny motor. The first few months after getting the dog their cat had been very sceptical, to say the least, but Church had grown on the Chairman eventually, with his gentle manners and plenty of patience with tiny cats running around his feet.

Privately, Magnus often compared Church to Alexander, when it came to the cat. He, too, had been considered very scary at first, but maybe because he fed him when Magnus slept in, Chairman Meow had eventually come around to this new human, just like he later came around to the concept of a big fluffy dog stealing space on the couch. It certainly helped that they both were very warm, and both patiently let tiny cats nap on them at will.

Alec didn't bother putting the purring cat down as he stretched out on the couch, immediately having to lift his feet to make place for the large dog. Alec was still worried about everyone's bizarre behaviour for the last few days, but if he was hiding a bit, he certainly wouldn't admit it. Magnus said it would go back to normal, and he was usually right. Until then, Alec had an unread Agatha Christie novel and two cuddly pets. He decided easily that he was staying in today.

* * *

Magnus came home after a long day filled with distance-meetings with personnel in New York (at least _they_ were still behaving like normal, unlike the mysterious and utterly incomprehensible locals!) to find the house almost alarmingly quiet. Usually, if Alexander was at home, there would be some music or at least the sound of movement. There was nothing.

If Alexander _wasn't_ at home, Magnus would be greeted at opening the door by the sound of paws and get to meet an excited dog the first thing he did. There was no sign of Church. If Alexander had brought him jogging, Chairman Meow would usually come demand attention or food instead. No cat either.

Frowning, Magnus hung up his things and put his suitcase away, toeing off his shoes and walking silently and suspiciously through the house. Not that it was a requirement in any way, but usually when he arrived at this hour Alexander would have food going. He was just that great a husband. This was utterly odd.

Just in case, Magnus moved silently through the house, checking for his family. There was just something which made him not want to call out, he didn't know why. What he eventually found in the sun-room on the second floor almost melted his heart.

Alexander was lying on the comfortable couch with a novel sprawled open on his chest, and the Chairman purring softly in the crook of his arm. The cat lazily opened an eye and blinked slowly as Magnus entered the room. Sprawling out just as lazily as his master, their huge dog was lying at Alexander's feet.

Stopping at the door, Magnus could feel himself smile. Alexander's bare feet were snuggled into the dog's long fur, and Chairman Meow was using his fingers for a pillow. They were simply the most adorable thing he could imagine. After a few more moments, Magnus silently slipped out of the room, and went downstairs to get dinner started. He suddenly felt like making the scrimp and lemon pasta salad his husband liked so much. He was certain they had all the ingredients somewhere, in Alexander's perfectly organised and stocked kitchen.


	17. Lydia Is A Sweetheart

_I mean no copyright infringement._

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Lydia felt a large knot in her stomach. The internal memo sent out spoke of things which just didn't happen at Bane corp. Industrial spionage was not too uncommon, and nor was embezzlement, but it just didn't happen at a Bane company. Never.

Yet here they were, black on white, words detailing names and dates for a trial for espionage and theft. Shaking her head, Lydia sighed for herself before rising from her home computer, only for a thought to freeze her in the doorway, making John look up from where he was sitting in the lounge and ask if she was alright. Absently, she nodded, and went to join him, sitting down still in a mist. John had turned towards her, worried.

She told the father-to-be of her yet unborn baby an abbreviated version of what she'd just read, adding when he didn't seem to share her concern, "This never happens to Magnus Bane. He must be _furious_. What if he hurts his husband because of it? Did you _see_ those bruises?! And yet, nothing had happened then!"

"Oh," John blinked, then grimaced. "I agree, it is troubling. Yet, Lydia, we cannot even know if we are right! But we can have them around for dinner or something, if you want to check on them? If you think it won't just make things worse." Lydia winced at the last bit. "I don't know," she admitted worriedly. "I just want to help him somehow!" "I know. We all do. We'll think of something," John promised.

Little did either of them know, that at that very moment, Alec and Magnus Bane were sitting much like they did themselves - lovingly curled up on a sofa, while Alexander humoured his husband's love of Project Runway and cuddling their two pets. If there was any danger to be had for Alexander Bane, it was to have his brand-new running shoes peed in by one annoyed cat who didn't get fed fast enough in the morning.

Certainly nothing worse than that. And as far as his husband counted, the only miscoloured skin he was guilty of, was occasionally talking Alec into letting him do his makeup.

As Alec started to fall asleep against Magnus shoulder, Lydia's head dropped against John's shoulder as she too, drifted off. One day, these two perfect couples might actually have that dinner, with some luck.


	18. The Hippocratic Oath

_I do not own anything Shadowhunters, just my self-invented fluffy AU._

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"Cat?" The doctor looked up and realised guiltily that her neighbours had been talking to her for probably at least a minute. They were sitting at the bar in John Monteverde's café, and by now it was common knowledge that she'd bumped into Alexander Bane at the grocery store that afternoon. "I am sorry, I was lost in thought," she apologised, "what were you saying?"

"Did you talk to Alec Bane?" What did he say?" Cat grimased. "That bad?!" Lydia exclaimed in horror. Cat shook her head. "No, no. I expected him to decline my offer to help him. So that we could know more? He... didn't. He's my patient now - I cannot talk about it." "Oh. That's unfortunate," John noted, blinking. "Isn't it a good sign though?" Lydia wanted to be positive, that much was obvious. Weighing her words for a moment, Cat then nodded. "Yes," was all she dared say, and while it didn't sway most people, it did make Lydia's heart a little lighter.

* * *

Alec Bane did the shopping in the Bane household, everybody knew that. He was introverted and seemingly shy and didn't really go anywhere where other people might be unless his husband was with him. (Which nobody looking in from the outside liked _at all_.) He had no visible friends other than his spouse, either, though some cautioned that maybe he did in New York. Most other people doubted their optimism.

Usually, he was only spotted about town when he was shopping or going running (almost every morning, in fact) with his dog, interspersed with the occasional long, indulgent afternoon walk, also accompanied by his large, faithful dog. Raphael reported, however, that it was not unusual to see him out around the house, silently going about whatever chore he was doing or preparing food out on the patio. If Raphael tried to engage in conversation around their mailboxes (which of course, being Raphael, he mostly _didn't_ ) he got polite responces, but he too, reported on the younger of his neighbours being "shy".

All in all, anything new they thought to look at, made the townspeople more and more convinced that they really _were_ looking at an unhealthy relationship, and most of them longed to help, quite a few giving little thought to what it might mean to themselves if Magnus Bane - the boss of over half the town - turned on them.

With all of this in mind, it was hardly a surprise that when Cat - the local doctor - ran into Alec Bane in the grocery store, she took the opportunity to - as she had indeed planned to do -offer him a to take a look at the visible - and new - row of bruises running across his one arm, barely visible under his black shirt. She also expected his discomfort at the idea and the refusal she was sure he was about to make.

What she absolutely didn't see coming, however, was Magnus Bane appearing next to him and gently persuading his younger husband that maybe, this would be a good idea after all. They set a time a day or so later, and that was it. Cat didn't like it, but before she saw proof of any kind - and at this point anything bad about Bane was mere hearsay - she could not talk about a patient. Not even when this ban frustrated her almost to death.


	19. An Unexpected Dynamic

_I do not own shadowhunters and I do not mean any offense or copyright infringement._

 _I've just realised most of these chapters (this one included) should probably contain warnings for domestic abuse triggers. Assuming it still counts when there's no actual domestic abuse happening? Someone give me_ _advice on that please..._

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Cat was never nervous about house calls. The mere idea was absurd, after all: she was a doctor! Sure, she usually made few house calls, her patients came to _her_ as a rule, but she was a highly trained, highly qualified, highly _professional_ medical expert, _not_ a schoolgirl on her first ball! Getting nervous butterflies in her stomach in walking up a drive was a ridiculous notion. Yet... she did.

Part of her was afraid what she'd find here, coming up towards the front door of the Bane lodge, part of her still held out hope it would all be a terrible misunderstanding, and all of her _wanted_ it to be.

It was Bane who opened the door. Cat expected him to be either the terrifying figure from various boardrooms she'd heard tales about in hushed whispers from several (more or less terrified) sources, or the charming man wearing easy smiles he seemed to be when no terrifying business persona was necessary. She assumed that to be just as much of a persona as well, if not more so. In fact, increasingly many people suspected that the semi-demon from the boardroom was his real personality, no matter how kind he otherwise _seemed_.

What she got, though, was neither. This version of Magnus Bane was subdued and looked if not worried, then absolutely concerned. "Ah, Cat. May I call you that?" At her reassuring, doctorly nod, he continued, letting her in as he spoke. "I am glad you're here. Alexander says I'm paranoid and overprotective and maybe I am, but he doesn't judge pain the way normal people do, so him saying he is fine really doesn't mean anything..."

Cat was surprised at that greeting, but it was nothing compared to her surprise at hearing the responding snicker. Alexander Bane was watching them, standing in the doorway to what she guessed was a kitchen, shaking his head. Cat had to briefly close her eyes in an extended blink and check again that she'd seen what she thought she had seen.

Alexander - Alec - was looking at his husband with a sort of fond knowingness, seemingly humoring just because... Well, Cat could have sworn it was protectiveness, only that did not make any sense.

She watched silently, uncomprehending, as Magnus Bane smiled back warmly, doubtlessly genuine love in his eyes as he responded. "Well, if I am overprotective, that makes two of us..." She noticed that Alec dipped his head in acknowledgement, but not surrender.

"Shall we go into the lounge? It might be the best place for it," Bane suggested jovially, suddenly back in his easy and practised, layed-back charm. "I would prefer examining your husband alone, actually," Cat countered, blinking again as she could have sworn that Bane looked hurt at this. "I wouldn't. I am prefectly fine - it is Magnus who needs to be reassured - it is no use if he's not there." Alec's voice was secure and decided, not the shy mumblings Cat had assumed likely. She was not to know, of course, what a lion the shy man could be when he protected his family - a family which _certainly_ included his husband.

"My oh my, Alexander, decided, are we?" Cat thought a blind idiot could spot flirting this obvious, but then again, there was no shame in that when one flirted with their own husband, was there? She expected Alec Bane to turn red and stutter, but instead he just gave his husband a smouldering look, deadpanning a reply confidently. "Sure. I've had enough tea to last me a lifetime." While Cat didn't understand what was either the most bisarre statement ever or an inside joke, it had Magnus Bane laughing aloud, so it was likely the latter. "Right, well, after you two, then," the business magnate allowed, still chuckling.


	20. Love, Life And A Spot Of Dinner

_So, regular readers of mine will have noticed that ever since I got busier, longrunning stories get their own date in order to get updated at_ least _montly. It might be updated randomly at other times, but except in case of emergencies, this story will now be updated at least every 14:th._

 _No copyright infringement is intended._

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It was mid-afternoon. The bar was almost empty save Cat herself and Lydia's John. Being a bartender, he could clearly catch her dark mood, and he was cleaning up around the bar without talking.

Cat was drinking, _very_ slowly, and thinking about what she'd picked up at the Bane house just the day before. She had been hoping her impression - and her way forward - would have become clearer during the night, but she was exactly as lost as she'd been the evening before.

Her conclusion had been very different than her assumptions already as they'd invited her in, and they'd kept on surprising her during the entire meeting. Magnus Bane was social and larger-than-life, though not obnoxiously or strangely so, and his husband was indeed a different sort; quietly confident and perhaps a little shy, but certainly not scared or falling away from his husband as one would expect from an uneven relationship.

The two husbands were clearly very different, but they seemed evenly matched. There was an even give and take there, as well as clear as day adoration which seemed equal between them. Magnus Bane doted on his husband, and Alec Bane doted on him back. Such things were of course absolutely subjective, but from where Cat had been standing, it sure _looked_ like a _great_ relationship. Certainly not an abusive one.

She had examined Alec Bane, and while it was obvious that he indeed had been hit, it did not in any way look like any case of domestic abuse she'd ever seen. Not to mention that Magnus Bane was a full two or even three sizes to small to have left the marks. He simply didn't have hands large enough to have caused those injuries. Briefly, she wondered if it was in fact the other way around; if Magnus Bane was the real victim here and his husband a cheater. It still didn't quite fit though, and Bane himself had given her the answer soon enough, telling her about Alec's work.

A martial arts teacher. _That_ fit perfectly. Alec had some marks clearly left by younger students; small bruises which could have been left by children just starting to learn, who had mistakenly hit their teacher. They were expertly cared for - Alec gave his husband credit for that with a warm look in his direction - and the ones Bane directed her to look at looked entirely different.

"He sparrs with his brother," Bane had told her, trying to keep composed but clearly worried. "He doesn't try to hurt him or anything, but Jace is in a higher weight-class and Alexander is more experienced - that isn't a good combination."

Cat believed him. She couldn't not to. The physical evidence was clear, as was the couple's warm and caring relationship. They'd invited her to stay for dinner, Bane deciding seemingly in the spur of the moment to cook something which had been very exotic and thoroughly delicious. She had finished her examination of Alexander while Magnus had been cooking, and they'd talked a bit. Magnus had not in any way, shape or form tried to stop that, another good sign.

"It worries him," Alec had told her as she'd been packing up her things, shaking his head. "He's always been good about my work - about anything, really, Magnus never cared about trivial things - but Jace worries him. Of course, Magnus hates him, that doesn't help." Cat remembered looking up at that, surprised, and she also remembered Alec laughing. "He's engaged to Magnus' god-daughter Clary. Disdain is mandatory."

"Does Magnus often cook?" Cat had asked a few minutes later, when they made their way back to the kitchen. "Oh, I usually do, but Magnus makes the best food when he's in the mood for it. I like cooking - I've always liked spoiling my family and I used to cook for my baby siblings - but Magnus usually cooks these amazing recipes from places he's visited around the world. It is always a great treat when he feels like cooking."

Cat had jumped on the idea that she hadn't been wrong about _something_ and assumed that it was a very rare thing, but she had been proven wrong in this too, as it became obvious during dinner that at least here where he was a bit less busy, Magnus cooked every week. She'd given up trying to judge them at that point and just enjoyed the company of two very nice, very intelligent men who loved each other very dearly.

Now it was just a matter of what she should and shouldn't say. As a doctor, she had sworn to do no wrong, and she was also bound by an oath of silence. There was simply no good path to trek in this case. Cat asked John for another drink.


	21. It Was An Enevitable Disaster

_And... here comes some angst. Don't worry - said angst is then drowned mercilessly in epic amounts off fluff. Maybe. Later. Perhaps… No copyright infringement is intended._

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Alexander realised it first. Magnus could have predicted that, had he known that it was there to predict. Magnus was standing by the window, exhausted, as he thought. Ever since their visit to the pool two weeks ago - because he could connect the dots now, that that was when it had first started - Alexander had gotten strange looks and even stranger questions whenever he dared to leave the house.

Magnus got angry just thinking about it, now that he knew that Alexander had consciously more and more avoided leaving the house. And now, naturally (though so _very_ undeservedly, as Magnus had told him) he blamed himself for that, thinking it made the whole situation worse. Magnus himself doubted it. When people got ideas like that into their heads, _nothing_ shifted them.

Today, Alexander had finally gotten a question in the local store which could not be misunderstood. Magnus had come home from his strangely suspicious employees to find his husband lying on the carpet in their living room, in the foetal position, accompanied by not one but two very worried pets; crying his heart out. Magnis had not seen him cry that hard since the evening after Alexander's parents called him an abomination. He could not stand seeing him like that.

Magnus sighed for himself. It had taken the better part of an hour to make his younger husband calm down even fractionally, and when he finally had stopped crying and been able to actually explain _why_ he was so upset, Alexander had refused to talk further and shut him out of their bedroom, claiming he needed to have a nap. Magnus didn't believe him, and he hated that they suddenly had what seemed like an ocean of space between them, for no good reason!

"Mreow?" Magnus turned his head and saw the Chairman Meow sitting behind him, head tilted and looking up at him innocently. "Hello Chairman," Magnus sighed and bent down to pick up his cat. "Your other daddy is a bit upset today. He found out that people apparently think..." he couldn't go on, instead sighing and letting his cat headbutt him gently.

Magnus remained in the living room, talking only half aloud, pretending he was talking to his cat while he was really just thinking out loud as he could not talk to Alexander. At least, until Chairman meowed in boredom and escaped him by jumping down to the floor and trot off. With a sigh, Magnus decided he might as well make dinner and ran a tired hand over his face before going to the kitchen.


	22. I Am Afraid I Ruined It All

_And here things get a little bit better... actually, no, not really. More angst. And another short chapter - the characters are_ not _cooperating with me trying to give you a bit longer things to read, seriously!_

 _No copyright infringement is intended._

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Alexander had forgotten how it felt to feel real despair. He had used to be familiar with it, far more than anybody would have liked to be. Growing up had not always been easy, and nor had studying been. He had been forgettable and lonely, before Magnus taught him to dare be himself, with all what that meant.

He had seen good and bad times, since then, but he was no longer feeling so empty. Hearing that question though; realising that his new neighbours though Magnus was violent towards him - and that it was most likely his own fault! - he felt like there was a void where his heart, lungs and stomach should have been.

He had gotten himself home - somehow - before breaking down. He felt bad for worrying Church and Chairman, but he was simply not capable of doing anything but clutching at his dog and crying. Then Magnus had come home, and instead of being better, things had become even _worse_. And that was only his own fault. That, _too_.

So now, his new neighbours though the worst of his husband, and his husband was likely - understandably - angry as hell. Not about the rumours; Alec might blame _himself_ , but he was sure Magnus didn't. He knew him too well to think that. Magnus was not angry about it. But anybody would be angry at Alec's reaction. He had been so unfair, especially as Magnus had every right to also be upset. And instead of dealing with it together, Alec had basically told him to piss off.

Curling into the foetal position in their bed (refusing to listen to the voice in his head which was questioning if Magnus would even want to sleep there tonight. Or _ever_ , for that matter. If he had finally had _enough_ entirely) Alec closed his eyes and tried to calm down. He _needed_ to calm down, apologise to Magnus, and then apologise more for this stupid idea of moving to this stupid town in the first place. Maybe they could go back to New York and forget this whole thing had ever happened in the first place. He didn't believe that at all.


	23. Magnus Is Bae

_This is a bonus chapter, because these chapters lately have just been too short._ And _too angsty._

 _No copyright infringement is intended._

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Finally pulling himself together, hours after first fleeing upstairs, Alec started to sneak back downstairs. He didn't really want to if Magnus was angry with him - as he should be - but he was all too aware that after snapping at him like that, it was unlikely that Magnus would come to him. He had, after all, made it _exceptionally_ obvious that he did not want to be disturbed.

Going downstairs silently, on soft footfalls and almost holding his breath, creeping downstairs, he was surprised at himself that he was so surprised to find that Magnus was talking at the phone. What did he expect? Magnus was a busy man!

He paused at the foot of the stairs, however, as he heard a snipped of the conversation. "I understand that, Catherine," Magnus was saying, "and I am not trying to pre-empt my husband's response here, or make you betray your confidentiality. I am merely trying to find a solution. So again, let me ask, if Alexander gave you _permission_ to do so, would it be _possible_ for you to spread the truth? Should he choose to do so, of _course_ ".

Alexander blinked. Why had he not thought of that? He found himself smiling, bleak and tearstained as it was. Trust Magnus to always find a way to solve _anything_. He strained to hear as Magnus was talking again.

"Splendid. I will get in touch should my husband choose this course of action. It is entirely his call - I merely wanted to explore the possibility, should that be what he wants." He listened for a few more seconds, then said, "It is not a question of that. Alexander is _very upset_ about the whole thing and wanted to leave here already before he understood the cause of the rumours. Before they started, however, he was very happy here, and I would like to explore every possiblity to remedy the situation before we simply move from here."

Alec moved silenty towards the living room door as Magnus was silent again, and reached it just as his husband said, giving a small laugh - not quite genuine but his charming businessman's laugh - "Oh, I am not quite that noble! I find I quite like it here, too, but I also like New York. Alexander, I often suspect, does not, though he bears it for me." One last pause, and Magnus responded with a polite, "And to you. Thank you, Doctor." Then, it seemed, he hung up.

Alexander hung back in the doorway, watching as Magnus put his phone down, rubbing his eyes and sighing. He felt terrible. _He_ was the reason Magnus looked so tired and worn.

"Magnus?" Alec ventured softly, making the business mogul spinn round. "Alexander." Alec felt even worse, watching the expression in his husband's eyes: cautious and _tired_. Wary.

"I am _so sorry_!" The words spilled out of Alec's mouth almost before he knew, and he kept apologising profusely until Magnus - he vaguely registered him looking relived, his eyes now with a warm, soft expression in their dark depths - gently put a finger across his mouth.

"Shhh, sweetheart. It is alright. We will solve this together, it will all be fine." The promise, soft and reassuring, full of love, was what finally allowed Alec to wrap his arms around Magnus, who promptly returned the gesture, and start to properly calm down. They were better than fighting over things like this, and they meant too much to one another to let rumours, no matter how terrible, spoil their relationship. They would get through this, and they would solve it. Together.


	24. Remember?

_It is the fourteenth, and you know what that means, don't you? More Malec! Yay!_

 _(This chapter was meant to be a fluff extravaganza after the angsty chapters lately, but then_ more _angst snuck in. What_ is _it with this story?)_

 _No copyright infringement is intended._

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Alexander wasn't moving, except the soft shift of his breathing. He had to be exhausted though, and after the evening they'd had - and afternoon, in his husband's case - Magnus couldn't say that he was surprised. He was certainly not complaining.

They were lying on the large couch in their living room, the sleeping Alexander using Magnus as a pillow. He had been a tad clingy since he'd gotten downstairs, but that was classic Alexander after any sort of upset - he got insecure really easily, which had to be related to the twisted way he was raised - and after an argument, rare as those were, Magnus was always content to indulge in his husband's need for reassurance. Maybe he was a tad clingy as well in those circumstances. Ah well.

Pretending to watch whatever series they'd chosen to put on, Magnus was really just listening to the soft breaths he could feel against his chest through the once-neat shirt he was wearing. He had one hand buried in Alexander's dark hair - it was getting a bit long, actually - and as he listened and just felt, he let his thoughts drift.

Catarina, the doctor, had been very aware of the rumours when he called her to ask about them. He could easily conclude that they were the real reason she'd asked Alexander if he needed help with his bruises - only when they'd accepted the offered assistance the plan had backfired, letting her realise nothing bad was happening to Alexander, but at the same time forcing her to not say as much because of patient confidentiality issues.

Magnus knew it upset her: he could have heard it from a mile away in the tone she used when he had confronted her about it. She wanted to make things right but did not know how. She had been cautious and had wanted to talk to Alexander - only he could decide something like that - but also seemingly eager to make things right. Magnus had never intended to push his husband nor make the doctor break her rules, he just knew that he had to have a solution ready and set up for Alexander to be able to handle this. He was far too upset by events to be able to act on his own.

Contrary to popular belief, Magnus did not control his husband in any way nor make any of his decisions - unless they were going to a gala and Alexander pointedly asked him to compose his outfit for him - but when he was upset enough, Alexander's headstrong, decided ways melted away and he was left very meek. Every phsychologist Magnus had consulted on the subject contributed it to the abusive parenting of Maryse and Robert Lightwood.

Thinking back, Magnus sighed. He had moved Alexander's things into storage from his dorm room and helped Isabelle set up a way to move Alexander's other things, when Alexander had been disinherited so suddenly by his parents after graduation, upon coming out to them. Then, too, Alexander had been merely coping, unable to _act_.

Neither Jace not Isabelle displayed these signs, but Magnus was not surprised. They were both very stubborn, extravagant people, which was probably pure personality, but he also suspected that it had to do with Alexander being the Lightwood's eldest, and _their son_ , not adopted nor a girl. The Lightwood pair were very old-fashion, and besides, Alexander had basically raised his younger siblings; giving them the love and devotion children need, thus shielding them from the way he himself had grown up. Magnus worried about Max sometimes but did not want to make Alexander frantic by talking about it too much.

Magnus tightened his hands around Alexander's sleeping form without knowing so when he thought about the first time after moving in together that Alexander had asked _permission_ for something so trivial it had almost given Magnus a heart attack. He did not want to remember, and he was glad that Alexander was so much happier and healthier now.

It was one of the reasons they had never argued much: Magnus was a business mogul trained to manipulate an entire boardroom, and Alexander was raised, conditioned, to obey and not make a fuss. Magnus had always been scared to argue with him, for fear that something which out to be trivial ended up either as him being manipulative, abusive or simply an asshole. They were finally moving past that - by now, they were truly equal, and wasn't that everything he'd ever wanted. He looked down on the sleeping love of his life, and he smiled.


	25. It Just Went From Bad To Worse

_I do not claim to own Shadowhunters. I am nowhere_ near _that crazy._ Yet _, anyway..._

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Lydia was worried. Well, more worried than usual. The court date for the embezzlement case was drawing ever closer, and Cat had been a bag of nerves ever since her visit to the Bane household. Lydia was not the only one who worried both about Cat _and_ Alec.

The good news - small as the silver lining was - was that Bane Inc. didn't seem to have lost any money to these thugs, strange as that was. Lydia was not the only one, however, who was willing to accept that Bane was more than clever enough to outsmart even attackers he didn't know were there.

She tried her best, day to day, to be kind to her boss, hard as she found that with the image of his husband's bruises in her mind. Shameful as she felt it was, she tried to forget about that, most of the time. Bane's behaviour - towards _her_ anyway - in itself didn't cause any animosity; in fact, he was still both kind and fair and the best of business leaders.

Lydia was expecting almost anything, with the recent events in mind, but what she certainly wasn't expecting was a half-grown young woman with dark hair (when Lydia had had time to think a bit about it, she would recognise how much the young woman in question looked like her boss' husband) to turn up at the office, eyes red clearly because of crying and sporting a large, nasty-looking bruise on one side of her face.

The woman asked the ground-floor receptionist for Bane, was turned away and peacefully went to sit in the lobby, as if to just wait him out. She was typing silently on her phone, the receptionist keeping an eye on her while pondering whether or not to call for the guards, when the young woman's phone beeped with an incoming text, causing her to smile though her upset, as if whatever the message was had calmed her.

Not two minutes later, Magnus Bane - who was supposed to be in a meeting - came down the last set of stairs looking very worried, and the young woman rushed up and met him half-way. Before anybody could react, she was in his arms, crying against his shoulder. His words were heard by all, and very simple. "Oh darling." He simply held her for a few moments, kissing the top of her head in an almost fatherly display of affection.

Shaking his head, he spoke softly. "Let's get you home, shall we? Don't worry, we will take care of you." Something told the many listeners that the "we" had now changed meaning. He looked around, suddenly, ignoring the staring and instead meeting the shocked eyes of Lydia, who had come down the stairs behind him.

"Lydia," he stated decidedly, but not harshly, "I am taking my sister," everybody were even more taken aback at that. Magnus Bane had a sister?! "Home. I shall be back tomorrow at my normal time, please handle the Aubernathy affair for me. Thank you." With that, he simply led the still crying girl out, whispering something to her, for her ears only.

The silence left behind them, as Lydia went to do as she was told, was deafening.


	26. Crisis Is Imminent

_Things are heaping up..._

 _I still do not claim to own Shadowhunters._

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Alaric went to the Bane household straight away. As chief of police, there was really no way he could have avoided it. He wouldn't have, anyway, but the sheer number of calls expressing concern about the situation made it impossible.

He pulled up in the cruiser, just as another car pulled into the drive which already contained the black jeep driven as far as Alaric could tell mostly by Alec Bane.

Two blonde men, both looking quite like they belonged to a gang or something, stepping out of said car made Alaric and his deputy jump out of their own car, hoping to de-escalate any potential situation. They didn't really know what was going on with any of these people, but it didn't _look_ very good. The next person to step out, however, gave Alaric pause, and the last appearance - the driver - stopped him dead in shock.

* * *

Alec had learnt many things while dealing with his sister through the years. (And, sometimes his husband.) These things included knowing when to give up (and when to run!) when fashion and/or shopping was involved, when to be a shoulder for his baby sister to cry on; and when to admit defeat and ask for help.

This, was definitely the last kind of situation.

Magnus had called him suddenly in the middle of the day - sounding like he was running down stairs - telling him he was headed downstairs to meet Izzy, who had texted him. He had been in a hurry and the talk was short, but it had left Alec with no doubt that his sister needed all the help she could possibly get. He had called in _everybody_ who could provide such help.

His sister's fiance, Meliorn, had a long way to go to join them but he was on his way, and Alec expected their adoptive brother Jace, Magnus' god-daughter Clary and her step/adoptive father Luke before nightfall. He had a feeling they were going to need all the help they could get. He was not wrong.


	27. Help Is Coming

_Finally, some answers. Also, a rogue character deciding that he wanted to turn up, too, nevermind that I wasn't planning on letting him in for like, twenty chapters. Man, I'm such a pushover where my characters are concerned..._

 _I still do not claim to own Shadowhunters._

 _TapTap_

Two blondes looking fierce, a tiny redhead looking equally as fierce (if not more so, but in entirely a different way), and finally a face so familiar Alaric first didn't know what to do. He wasn't their chief of police for nothing, though, and he didn't hesitate for long.

Alaric stepped over, making the last man look up in complete surprise, which turned into a smile after a second. "Alaric!" The darkskinned, tough-looking man - with a New York police badge hanging around his neck - turned to the others, who had ridden in his car with him. "Alaric was my partner back in the day! When Clary was just a toddler..." he smiled at the redhead, "remember that, darling?" She smiled in responce, waving over at Alaric. He was aware that his second was staring, but he had more urgent things to sort out. Like, _everything_ , for example.

Luke, his old partner from his time as a New York cop, was turning back to face him now, for one. "How've you been?" The question was asked causally, but with interest, and completely innocently. Alaric immedately knew it was genuine; and whatever fears he had held, at least as far as Luke was concerned, were wiped away.

"Good. A bit of a busy time recently. I've had reports of a domestic disturbance at this site, Luke, I'm not gonna lie - we're a bit concerned," Alaric decided to cut to the chase. Luke frowned. "Really? I mean there's a scene to be sure - Maryse and Robert Lightwood have always been the _last_ people who ought to have kids if you ask me - but that's stretching it, surely."

Alaric hated to say this, but Luke was a fellow cop after all. "Well, Bane does have a bit of a reputation around here, Luke, and the neighbours were worried for his younger husband, I suppose." Luke's frown went from puzzled to completely taken aback and even a bit angry. "Magnus?! Alaric, what are you talking about?!"

"He's talking about _these_ ," both policemen turned, to see Alec and Magnus Bane coming down their driveway to meet their visitors, hand in hand. While Magnus looked calm and collected, his younger husband was _fuming_. With his words, he pulled his black T-shirt up, displayíng a dizzying array of healing bruises, which had Alaric shocked, Luke frowning, and... they all turned to the sound of a loud curse. The older-looking out of the two blonde men had slapped the other one over the head, not _too_ hard, but still.

"Jace!" He then scolded immediately. "I thought you said you had it under control!" He didn't listen to any objections - from the second blonde _or_ Alec - but went on, _furious_. "Your brother is a lower weight-class than you are, and _he's_ the more experienced out of the two of you, so _he_ covers for _your_ mistakes. You are banned from all sparring until we can sort you out! Goodness." He turned to Magnus. "I thought you were just being over-protective. _Goodness_ ," he came closer to look at Alec's still-exposed skin, making him quickly drop the shirt. "And those were old, too... man." Ignoring everybody around them, he looked Alec in the eye.

"Kid, I know your parents weren't telling you normal things when you grew up, but listen to Magnus, if nothing else. Those _hurt_ , trust me, _I would know_ , and if _you_ don't think so, you're _wrong_." He turned to Magnus instead. "Next time, just tell me, I'll sort the boys out - it's my dojo. I had no idea your husband had so little..." "Self-preservation?" Luke noted tartly. Magnus Bane managed to smile, but didn't comment, probably because the police officer went on. "It might have been her daughter Maryse finally took a swing at, but Alexander is way more messed up." Luke summed up. "He's gotten better." Magnus defended his partner immediately. There were at least five voices, including Luke, the older of the blonds, and Alexander himself, replying with, "Thanks to _you_!"

The redhead - Clary alias Biscuit, apparently - might have also been one of them, but the fifth was Cat, the local doctor, who stepped past Alaric to meet the married couple. Alec let go of his husband to greet her, though he didn't step far. "Cat, hi. My sister's inside - come with me please". Bane kissed him on the head as they passed, leaving Alaric (and his second) reeling, before Luke finally found words.

"Right... well, Alaric, you've met Claire and Magnus. This is Hodge - Martial arts teacher and Magnus' partner in dojo-running since a decade or so - he is also Alec's boss..." he pointed to the older blonde, "and Alec's younger adoptive brother and sparring partner, Jace," he gestured to the still sheepish-looking younger blond guy.

"Pleasure," Alaric's tone was almost clipped. "Let me get this right. What's happened, exactly?" "Maryse Lightwood - Alec's mother - hit her daughter Isabelle today. She didn't know where to go so she went and found Magnus. He was the easiest to track, I suppose."

"Easier than Alexander, who is whom she wanted after this," Magnus cut in. He met Alaric's eyes steadily. "I took her home and called Cat. We're expecting more company, as we simply must sort this out _now_. Jace and Isabelle are _fine_ , because _Alexander_ raised them, _not_ their parents, and _he_ was a good parent, different from them. They have a little brother, you see, and he is simply not safe there any more. _If_ he ever was, come to think of it. Cat will document Isabelle's injuries so she can testify to this, as will others."

Alaric nodded slowly, still reeling. He was just about to suggest taking this inside, when another car pulled up. More precisely, a black-metal style black limousine; and out of it stepped two men.

 _I'm gonna break here, because this scene goes on like, forever, and I'll be updating this story very soon anyway, so you don't even have to wait for it._

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	28. Help Has Arrived

_Here we go again..._ actual _meeting with some new characters..._

 _I don't own Shadowhunters..._

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They had all turned around to watch the car, and just as Alec Bane stepped back out the door, two men exited the black jaguar limosine.

One of them was grim-looking and stern, seeming very much like the posh laywer that everyone but Alaric (and his second) knew that he _was_ , and the other could only be described with the words that he looked like a _rockstar_.

He was, of course, also just as much of a rockstar (if not more so) as his companion was a posh laywer. Immediately after stepping out, he was engulfed in an almost running hug by both Magnus and Alec Bane, and he hugged them in turn, kissing both men on the top of their heads and mumbling, barely intelligible for the people still standing on the driveway, "My boys."

After they all untangled, he smiled at them again, speaking louder now. "I thought I heard of a family crisis." He then took a step back and looked Magnus over, up and down, before grinning. "I see that you're influencing without being influenced, looks wise. Looking good, son." Smiling he then turned to ruffle Alec's hair.

"Much as I love _you_ , son, you do look a bit..." but the critique was very fond, and Alec smiled shyly. "Thanks, dad." At the older man's laughter, he dodged the hand the second time around, smiling, "And no fair, I am wearing... somebody! And everything!" "Looks like Gucci and Michael Cors to me," the older man agreed. "And Chanel." Magnus cut in, leading the way back towards the drive. "I found that as long as I stick to what I'd call 'background pieces' in grey and black, he isn't resistant to wearing clothes that aren't..." both father and son shuddered.

Luke, chuckling, turned to Alaric. "Alaric, meet 'The Prince of Darkness'; Asmodeus Bane, and his laywer, Ragnor Fell. Guys, this is Alaric, my old..."

Doubtlessly, Luke would have explained just whom, exactly, Alaric was, but he was interrupted by the sound of a very fast motorbike moving up the road _very_ quickly, stopping just behind the limo in an elegant flurry of tire smoke.

"And that," Luke added, unaffected, "would be Meliorn, Isabelle Lightwood's fiance since a year or so."

Alaric watched the man stepping off of the motorcycle with practised ease, but very unfluent motions, as if deeply upset and disturbed. He pulled his helmet off with a flourish which was entirely unintentional and visibly restrained himself to try and ask the question calmly - not taking his anger out on any of the family gathered - but Alexander forstalled him. "Melion. Thank you for being so quick. Isabelle is inside." Without a word, the other man stepped up to Alec, draping a hand around his shoulder and letting him lead him towards the door.

"No offence, Alec," they could hear him note, "but I hate your mother. You might be the only family of hers I actually like..." he waved absentmindedly in the two Bane's direction, "plus a few of the 'extra' family..." "Hey!" The adoptive brother shouted in protest, apparently recovered enough to object. Meliorn payed him no heed, merely noting, almost softly, before disappearing inside with his future brother-in-law, "No, Jace, I don't like you either."

Chuckling, Bane senior watched their backs disappear inside, and gestured towards the door. "Maybe, we should follow? Let's give them space - Isabelle must be so upset the poor dear - but surely you have a living room we could talk in instead? It seems we have a lot to discuss." The words were aimed at his son - they were still standing right next to one another - and Magnus nodded. "Sure we do. Let's..." And he led the way inside.

* * *

Before following, Alaric sent his second back to the station to write a report, saying he'd follow shortly, but wanted to speak some more to the layer and Luke before he did.

Not an hour after leaving the station, he found himself sitting in a very comfortable sofa in the Bane household living room, next to Luke. Luke's daughter had disappeared, seemingly joining this "Meliorn" in looking after the girl who had been hurt - Isabelle, if he remembered correctly - and Cat had appeared instead, noting that the girl was safe, but how it was absolutely to class as physical abuse.

After saying so, and after being prompted by Alec Bane, she had gone on to assure Alaric that the situation they had been increasingly monitoring, on the other hand, was _not_ so, and now, seeing Alec Bane leaning on the shoulder of his husband, clearly feeling very safe in Magnus Bane's just as clearly tender embrace, he could probably have figured out as much on his own.

Bane the older's layer - and longtime friend, obviously, given that _Magnus_ Bane addressed him as "godfather" more than once during the conversation - introducing himself as Ragnor Fell, ended that conversation rather effectively by asking his client's son if he wanted to sue for the libel the townspeople had made themselves guilty off.

Alaric had found himself go quite cold at that - there was simply no limit to the damage these three men could potentially cause to the town, to _all_ of them if they wanted to - but to his immense relief the businessman had simply laughed the suggestion off.

"Nonsense," he said, stroking his husband tenderly over his head, "they were merely trying to look after Alexander. I might be many things, but I've never been a hypocrite, and I've been rather oversealous in that desire myself, once or twice." There were several snorts - and one immature remark (by Jace, of course) at that statement, but Bane had then gone on to look Alaric in the eye.

"I would ask for one thing, however. Alec liked it here before this all happened, and I would want things to be like that again. Could we make these rumours go away, to start with? We would like to stay. Even more so, if Max comes to live with us."

Alaric and Cat both agreed that they'd _very_ much like to help with that, before they left the family to their own devices.


	29. TeamWork

_I do not own stuff that isn't mine..._

 _This story is giving me writer´s block._

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No matter how earth-shatteringly upsetting - or good - an evening might be, a new day always dawns. As this new day dawned, it saw Magnus Bane at work with managing his business without being bothered by all the looks: looks probably due to him being joined in his duties by his father, the legendary rockstar known as "The Prince of Hell" or "The Prince of Darkness" - mostly depending on which generation you were from.

It saw Ragnor Fell writing up a report, starting the court case process which would - hopefully - land them with the custody of twelve-year-old Maximillian Lightwood being transferred to his older siblings.

It dawned for Alaric, chief of police, already hard at work with the inevitable paperwork even a small town generated, when he was not gossiping by the coffee pot with his colleagues. It was not his normal way to do so, but thanks to his breaking of the habit gossip was already starting to spread like a wildfire: Alexander Bane was a martial arts teacher, with a careless sparring partner. His husband was worried about him, actually, not trying to hurt him. Alaric might not be a man of all too many words, usually, but he knew how to get an idea across. His strategy was _very_ effective.

Cat was waiting for the waiver to be sent over by Ragnor Fell, signed by Alec Bane, freeing her from her professional wow of silence. As soon as it arrived - promptly at eight am in the morning - she corrected her colleague's speculations by stating that yes, those _had_ been the marks of hands hitting him, on Alec Bane. But while they were, they were of hands at least two sizes larger than Magnus Bane's. In the resulting silence in the hospital staff room, she had merely innocently stated that, "I hear he's really fond of sparring. I believe his dojo master or whatever they're called just suspended his normal sparring partner for being too careless, though, but maybe a break would be good for him". Internally, she smirked and noted: "job done".

The hours after dawn saw Melion in a bed in the largest guest room, watching over his still-sleeping fiance, woving to never fail to protect her like this again.

It saw Luke and Hodge talking, accompanied on the patio by a large dog and a tiny kitten, both indulged with plenty of petting, and Alexander Bane greeted the new day in the kitchen, making enough food to feed an army, because we all have different ways of coping, and that was his.

After lunch, Meliorn had dragged Isabelle to the doctor's surgery to have another checkup with Cat, and Luke had left to go back home, duties awaiting. Hodge had promised to take the kids back safely later.

Hodge, Alec and Jace, themselves, after lunch found themselves in the park less than a mile from the Bane house, Hodge attempting to instruct the two younger men in how to spar more safely together. They pointedly ignored all the looks they got from the people walking through the park or tanning nearby, focusing only on their training - like they would in the gym.

There were quite a few people sitting meaningfully nearby on the grass, pretending not to watch them, when Alec and Jace went up against Hodge together and Jace made one of his clumsy, too hard attacks.

Blocking him easily enough, Hodge scolded him loud enough for all the curious bystanders to hear. "Jace! See, that's why you can't be sparring with your brother," he gestured in Alec's direction, just to clear it up for the eavesdroppers, hoping to help in the killing off of the rumours, "he is a lower weight class and much as he plays the hero when he shouldn't, you'll hurt him. You have to learn to pull your punches. Again."

As they took positions to continue the spar, more than one of the onlookers - especially those who had already heard the rumours creeping out from the hospital and the police station - had a lot of new things to think about when they eventually went about their day, after their lunch breaks.

The subject was discussed in John's bar, willingly aided by both Alaric and Cat, (the latter explaining that Alec Bane, upon hearing the rumours, "He was so upset, too, poor dear," had signed off his rights of patient privacy so that she could talk about it) who gave them the scoop on how Isabelle Lightwood's own _mother_ had hit her and she had come to find her brother and brother-in-law. They didn't provide more details than that, never ones to ignore anybody else's privacy, but it was more than enough to sway anybody still having reservations.

By the time this night was put to rest, so was any rumour that Magnus and Alec Bane were anything but a perfectly pleasant, perfectly happy couple. Lydia herself was feeling a tad ashamed, but she almost forgot as much, because of the immense relief that drowned all negative thoughts out. When she - some days later - tried to apologise, Magnus Bane was more than gracious about it; giving her a warm hug, merely requesting that should she hear anything strange ever again, would she please just _ask_ him about it. She promised she would, easily, and in the coming years she kept that promise more than once.


	30. House Tour

_I do not own anything but the fluff. But oh, all the fluff is mine!_

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Lydia for one had completely forgotten about the trial. Even more so, because she was closer than ever to her charismatic boss, and _he_ certainly didn't seem even remotely worried about it. Because of this, it came as a shock when she saw that circled date on the current month's calendar; turning over to a new month.

Not, of course, that this made her boss seem even a little more concerned. Eventually, Lydia concluded that - like on most other occasions, as far as she could tell - Bane had an ace in his sleeve, so to speak. As well as - she started to suspect - ice in his stomach for this kind of game. Because at his level of business, she'd come to realise it was always just that; just an ongoing, constant game of hyperdimensional chess.

It came as a surprise for her because of this reason, to find herself with an invitation to come have dinner at her boss' home. She knew Alec Bane had driven most of their houseguests home a few days' after the most gossiped about event the town had seen for at _least_ a decade; but hadn't dared ask her boss if his sister-in-law still resided with them, so she and John didn't know how many they'd be for dinner as they walked up the drive.

Turns out, it was a triple date, as not only was Isabelle Lightwood now permanently living with them ("Only until I go back to school," she'd explained) but her fiance had dropped by as well.

John had immediately been drawn into a discussion with this Meliorn about drinks, and Magnus Bane (who it seemed was the chef of the day, somewhat surprisingly) insisted he couldn't walk about in the middle of cooking, so it fell onto the Lightwood siblings to offer the tour.

Lydia remembered the house from her childhood - when it had been quite different - but no one had been inside after the couple had moved in and both her and John were excited to see what they'd done to the place.

Unexpectedly, it was down-to-earth and homely, even though it was sometimes blatantly obvious that it had been decorated by people who had access to an almost obscene amount of money to do it with.

"This is very nice. Big houses like this fall down around here all too often; no one can afford to live in them," Lydia noted with genuine delight as they peeked into the old orangerie on the third floor, now decorated with wicker furniture, plenty of plants and lights, and currently inhabited by an enormous, sleeping dog who anyone in town could have recognised for Alexander Bane's usual running companion.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it," Isabelle Lightwood replied with as much enthusiasm, making her brother smile slightly in pure fondness. "Magnus has such awesome taste," Isabelle continued with a light headshake and a broad smile, "how my brother - who to this day _cannot_ match his own outfit to save his life - managed to land him I've _no idea_." She playfully grinned at her older sibling, who fondly smirked back. "That's exactly how I did it," he bantered back, "the offer to fix it for me was _irresistible_!"

All three of them laughing, they went up to the last floor, Lydia and Isabelle talking all the way up the stairs about how rare - and wonderful - it was with men who truly understood a good flower arrangement - never mind a perfect wardrobe.


	31. Only Problematic Things Are Problems

_I do not own anything but the fluff. Shadowhunters belongs to Cassandra and her producers._

 _This story continues to frustrate my muses…_

 _This story is set before the dinner party with Lydia and John._

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It was the evening once everyone else - including Meliorn, at least for moment - had finally left the big house, and Izzy found herself alone there with her brother and new brother for the first time.

She was going over her material for the next term, with growing trepidation. Being at University wasn't exactly cheap, and her mother had made it abundantly clear that she and Isabelle's dad wasn't going to pay for it any more.

This was her year off, as well, when she was supposed to take that break from Med school her parents had _promised_ her if she did well, before going on to the wards. This was supposed to be her one chance to study fashion as well. To find out if she could truly _do_ it. And she wouldn't be able to go.

"What's the matter, little sister?" Looking up expecting to see her brother - the question, as well as noticing, was so very like him - Izzie looked up to find her brother-in-law smiling kindly at her instead. Sometimes it startled her that for all of their vast differences - and they were _vast_ \- Alec and his husband were so incredibly _alike_.

"Just studying," she tried to brush it off, but Magnus' raised eyebrow told her that he wasn't buying it for a moment. She wouldn't have really thought that he would.

"It is just... this was supposed to be my one chance to change, you know?" He had sat down opposite her in their beautiful living room, obviously listening attentively, so she continued. "And now I won't be able to afford going back to college next semester. It's _hard_ , you know?"

"I don't actually. Isabelle," Magnus laid a careful hand on her knee, "this isn't really a problem, you realise. It is just money." He suddenly smiled, nudging her to realise the London Liberty rug under their feat, which probably cost close to a school fee in itself. "There's kind of a lot of it around."

Frowning, Izzie waited for him to elaborate. "Look, I know that you weren't _born_ my sister, and if you're anything like Alexander you won't approve of having things done _for_ you, but I am paying my goddaughters school fees without a thought, and I'd be happy to pay my little sister's, too. For me, this is an entirely natural - and minor! - thing to do, and I'd be glad if you could accept it."

"You didn't pay Alec's," Izzy found herself saying, half a mind to object at the same time as she mostly felt objecting would be ridiculous. "That's different," Magnus voice was fond and soft, as it always was when he mentioned her brother.

"If Alexander truly was my toy-boy, as the papers would have it, I would have. And I know some people would argue I did - he _was_ working for me, as one of my Shadowhunters - but your brother and I have a _partnership_. For that to truly work, over the _decades_ we have planned for it to, we have to be equal. Your's and my relationship," he smirked, "is very different, and there is nothing to stop me from big-brothering you. Alexander and I have that quality in common, if you haven't realised."

"I haven't missed it," Isabelle grinned at her newest brother - if she had adopted Jace, she saw no reason not to extend the same courtesy to Magnus, he was by far less annoying after all - and nodded her head. "Thank you." She knew she didn't have to say anything else, and she was right.

Magnus, sitting opposite her, looked up as their conversation closed, and spotted Alexander standing in the doorway, smiling. When he noticed he was being watched in turn, he mouthed, "Thank you." Magnus smiled back and rose. If it could be solved with mere money, it was not a problem at all in his book. He only wished he could have helped Alexander's other sibling with such ease. Stepping forward and linking hands with his husband, he was resolved to try and solve that, too, either way.


	32. Asmodeus Bane's Son

_I do not own "Shadowhunters". Not that there's much you'd recognise from Cassandra Claire's work in this one - pretty much just names for this chapter._

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Asmodeus Bane had grown up in a peaceful little town with his adoring mother and his grandparents. He had been loved, but not spoilt, and he had learnt to work hard for what he wanted at the same time as he had all the support in the world.

He had become one of the greats - through plenty of both hard work _and_ talent - in the seventies and early eighties, and he had stayed that way ever since. His family had been with him all the way; same as his best friend from childhood, and he had been very happy. That bit hadn't changed along the way.

It was a night like any other; a brief affair with a huge fan after yet another a recordbreaking concert sometime in 1986 or so, which had changed a few things he had not even considered _things_ , previously.

It was in december, 88, when he got the best Christmas present he had ever recieved, or so he told his son often through the subsequent years. It was the 16:th, when he found out that the at this point faceless fangirl, whom he could only barely remember, had conceived a child: he had a son.

His initial happiness had quickly become worry and heartache, as she turned out to be quite a negligent mother. He had started what he feared might be a lengthy legal process to get custody of his son, when his best friend and laywer had gotten one of his brilliant ideas. It seemed this woman was mostly interested in money, so Ragnor Fell had offered her a one-time sum to sign their papers and simply hand the toddler over.

Stunned by what to her mind was a lot of money (but to Asmodeus was a mere one-concert sort of sum) she had been too slow to remember to negotiate, and Ragnor had had it all settled over an afternoon. Smiling in a way most unlike him, Ragnor had later pronounced it was "all too easy".

So it was, that Asmodeus Bane had gone backstage to his greenroom one night after a concert, and found not only his friend waiting, but his son as well. Magnus Bane had celebrated his second birthday with his father and spent the rest of what now became a supremely happy childhood either with his adoring grandmother, in one of his father´s palaces across the world, or joining him on tour.

He had grown up to be an outgoing, clever boy of whom his father was supremely proud, and to his great delight also showed an early interest in everything glittery and fashionable. At age seven, he would wear tailored suits with great delight, and father and son often sported matching coloured streaks in their hair.

Magnus was eleven years old when he designed a stage outfit for his father for the first time (it was _good_ , too - so good that the Prince of Darkness wore it _twice_ ) and most of his family (his grandmother _not_ included, as she was a very astute woman) thought he'd become a fashion designer, one day. They weren't strictly wrong.

It shocked everybody but Mrs Bane when Magnus instead applied for business school at sixteen, but while he was very puzzled, Asmodeus was still utterly _proud_ and beyond supporting. When his son with time became not only a fashion icon and music producer, but also a business mogul of epic proportions, well, Asmodeus thoroughly blamed Ragnor Fell's influence for that.

Ragnor was very smug, but they eventually got over their good-natured arguments about it. Sort of.

At any rate, they learnt not to bicker about it in front of "their" son, as Magnus took to calling them both an old married couple, when they did.


	33. Always Fill Your Sleeves With Aces

_To all the Guests asking me to continue: I will, I promise. Please don't be worried!_

 _No copyright infringement is intended. Only fluff is intended!_

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Lydia was a spectator in the court as the trial of the offenders begun. Bane was sitting at the front row, so to speak - looking calm to the point of smug - and next to him sat his husband, looking less smug but somehow vaguely amused; as if he knew something, too, that the rest of them didn't. Lydia was willing to bet that he did.

The swindlers were brought to trial one by one, each testifying and some of them able to dodge the attacks of the prosecutor; but not one of them able to resist the pointed questions of Ragnor Fell, who represented the company and Magnus Bane.

As the last defendant stepped up to testify, Ragnor Fell suddenly declined to ask any questions - the prosecutor had let him start for several of them, realising he knew exactly what to ask somehow. Maybe he was just that good - and the prosecutor stepped up a bit unsurely.

The first two questions were simple. "Do you plead guilty to this crime you are accused of committing?" Was answered with a "No," and "Your name is Jonathan Wayland?" was answered by as "Yes," but then hesitation.

Spotting this hesitation, the prosecutor raised an eyebrow and tried to clarify. "Are you unsure of your name somehow?" The other defendants' lawyer would doubtlessly have objected to the condescending question; but this man didn't seem to have _brought_ a lawyer. He was well built and looked nice but somewhat cocky, and Lydia could have sworn that he reminded her of something.

"Well, no, but sometimes I used to go by my adoptive parents' name. Not any more though - they haven't been good to my siblings, so I no longer keep in touch." "Your adoptive siblings?" The prosecutor followed. "How is this relevant?" The already questioned men´s lawyer asked.

"Well, it sort of is", Jonathan Wayland answered, shrugging. "And it has to do with why I´m innocent, so…" The prosecutor made a "then by all means", sort of gesture, waving a hand to encourage him to continue.

"Well, my siblings are Isabelle and Maxwell Lightwood, and our oldest brother is called Alec. Well, he´s really called Alexander - Alexander Bane -" there was a series of small gasps throughout the courtroom at this, and Lydia only barely managed to keep one back herself, "but only Magnus is allowed to call him that. And Magnus sort of _owns_ the company, and he _said_ I should play along, so I haven't committed any crime."

In the stunned silence, Ragnor Fell spoke up. "At Bane Industries we have no issue with Jonathan 'Jace' Wayland, who is still in our employ today one of the company's 'Shadowhunters'; answering directly to our owner Magnus Bane himself. Mr Wayland is here because he was named by multiple members of the defendants; we have not asked to press charges, and do not wish to do so."

Lydia looked past the prosecutor - who looked like he had just realised he had made a mistake by including this man in his case - and studied the faces of Alec and Magnus Bane. Alec was looking at who she now understood was his little brother and sparring partner Jace with distinct fondness, and Bane looked just like a man would; who had just revealed his winning hand. She decided she should have seen it coming.


	34. Inside the Bedroom

_It is getting fluffier! This story has been an angsty pain, I'm just saying._

 _I don't own Shadowhunters, obviously; it is full of angst._

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Alec had always loved watching Magnus dress for galas. Magnus dressing for any day could be a treat - he took such care and used such creativity when he got himself ready - but these times in particular were _special_.

Alec was lying in bed, still undressed from the shower he'd shared with his husband earlier; and watched as the man he loved first walked about and rummaged around his closet in a towel. Picking out a few pieces, Magnus teasingly dropped the towel, winking as he started to get dressed. Alec couldn't help but laugh; Magnus was certainly not shy. Not that he needed to be, on any count.

Dressed in suit trousers and nothing more, still barefoot, Magnus started to pick out details as they chatted peacefully about the upcoming gala. Alec was not coming; there was no need for him to go this time and he would not enjoy it, so Magnus would be taking Izzy instead.

* * *

Laying out the rest of his outfit on the bed, Magnus got started on his own styling. He smiled as he could feel Alexander's eyes on him. There had been a time when his husband - mostly before he was, in fact, his husband - had used to be far too shy to watch him so openly, but Magnus did not mind the eyes tracking his movements. If anything, he enjoyed it.

He let the silence be; it was the comfortable, content kind and he didn't feel the need to fill it with words. Nor, it seemed, did Alexander. His husband was lying naked under the covers in their bed, just watching him lazily. It made him smile.

"Red or green?" He finally broke the silence, asking Alexander's opinion on the streaks of colour he intended to put in his hair; holding the two different colours up for his partner's perusal. "Neither. I like the purple," Alexander answered confidently, arms stretched out above his head, resting comfortably on the pillow. Magnus felt a vague, sudden temptation to just stay home. He shook it off. He'd just make Alexander feel guilty or embarrassed if he acted on that impulse.

"Purple it is," he said instead, sitting down by his vanity to do his makeup. Through the mirror, he watched Alexander close his eyes and apparently give up his battle with the instinct to have a nap.

He smiled for himself as he started to lay his foundation and work on his eyes. He had no real _need_ to change his looks - he had ever been perfectly happy with the way that he looked - but he always just enjoyed it. It was soothing and exciting all at once, and he had a very imaginative and expressive streak that he assumed came from growing up with a touring rockstar.

After taking his time with his makeup, Magnus pulled the colour into his hair with practised movements - purple, of course - and walked over to the bed. He held up the three different shirts he'd taken out of the closet as possible choices to himself.

He dismissed the white as both too formal and too boring; the green as not matching his new hair-decisions and then tilted his head as he considered the black shirt with red details. Dismissing that, too, he went back into the walk-in-closet and hung them back out.

Wandering almost aimlessly, he finally smiled when his eyes landed on a particular shirt. Still black, with sleeves he preferred to wear rolled up, it sported purple flowers with green leaves climbing up on one of his sides.

Shrugging into it immediately, he went back out into their bedroom, stroking his now deeply sleeping husband's foot through the duvet as he continued to get dressed. Taking a long look at the final result of his artistry in the mirrors of the walk-in-closet moments later, he decided that he'd do. He was wearing almost all black - with a few rings matching his one earring - with highlights - both in his hair and his clothes - in purple.

He looked magnificent, he had just decided, as there was a soft knock on the bedroom door. Walking softly as not to disturb Alexander, he went and opened the door; having first determined that his husband was decently covered up. He was buried in their blankets up to his neck, in fact.

"Isabelle," Magnus acknowledged softly as he opened the door, stepping out and closing it again so they wouldn't wake his sleeping better half. His sister-in-law raised an eyebrow but did not comment.

She was wearing her long black hair down, matched with a flowing black dress which reached her knees and black, semi-transparent tights. "Oh, we do match." She noted, slightly shaking her head. "I just came to ask for fashion advice - and to see what you were wearing! I got the impression you were thinking about green and black."

"Certainly black, but as for the green, your brother vetoed it," Magnus just knew he was smiling fondly, and judging by Isabelle's smirk it wasn't lost on her. "Well, as you're already ready, fancy helping me pick out some purple jewellery?" Magnus nodded, more than willing to, and they went up to Isabelle's room together, digging through jewellery boxes to get it _just_ right.

That was how Alexander - now dressed in black jeans and a too large grey sweater - found them almost an hour later, reminding them that it was time for them to go. With a last kiss on his husband's cheek, Magnus brought his sister in all ways that counted out to the waiting black limousine.


	35. An Honest Reply

_I am finally starting to defeat the last of the angst and get the levels of fluff up to reasonable levels… and also get rid of the writer´s block this story has caused lately._

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Alec left the house around seven, deciding he didn't much fancy being there all alone this evening, with just two far too lazy pets for company. He didn't _mind_ , and normally he would have happily just made himself some food and read a book, but something made him want to change that habit for once.

Alec found himself regretting this idea right away; as soon as he stepped into the pub. He was glad he wasn't entirely alone - he had brought Church - but he still felt awkward and exposed. For about three seconds, before John spotted him and with a huge grin, called out, "Alec! Decided to finally leave the sun-room, did you! Fancy a beer?"

"Greetings neighbour," Raphael stated with a measure of sarcasm, but no measure of malice, from over by the wall, and Alaric raised his bottle in greeting just as Alec got a huge hug from Lydia, who appeared out of nowhere. Smiling, he decided this might have been a good idea, after all.

* * *

While the summer was in full bloom, Magnus started to attend more events; and while Alec did spend several evenings out on the patio relaxing - enjoying the peaceful nights, for all that he also adored spending time with his husband - he went over to John's bar at least once a week.

He didn't normally drink - and he didn't start now - but he enjoyed the company, nevertheless. One evening, as Magnus and Izzy were attending a glamourous premiere, Alec came early to the bar. He was enjoying the place's speciality steak burger as the room slowly filled up with people, Church sitting there with his head in Alec's lap.

He had asked - that first time he came - if it was alright to bring the dog inside; but it was soon evident that absolutely nobody minded. Church got a lot of pets on his head, accompanying his master, and he was far too well behaved to disturb anybody at all.

It was no longer needed, after Cat and Alaric's efforts, but the odd person who _did_ still wonder about the young man's relationship with the eccentric multimillionaire - and son of a rockstar - lost their worries soon enough, seeing Alec out and about on his own, talking to people. Magnus, too, was known to smile warmly when it was brought up. Which of course it regularly was, seeing as Lydia's husband owned the bar; and she worked with Magnus. The world is not that big, in a small town.

This particular evening, a particularly brave and industrious reporter had drawn his own conclusions and came striding into the bar halfway through the night; as the premiere was on the television in the corner and Alec got good-naturedly teased about his attractive husband.

The very moment the reporter set foot inside the threshold, at least five men rose. Alaric was amongst them, hand reaching for his badge, as John stepped out from behind the counter, voice full of authority as he made it very clear. "Journalists are not welcome at this establishment. Please leave. If needed - I will…" "Call the police?" The reporter's face was surprisingly kind. "I think waving will be enough," Lydia cut in, letting her husband make the gesture towards Alaric, who was now holding his badge up.

"It will not be necessary," the man assured them. "I would very much like a word with Alec Bane - but if he prefers not to talk to me, he can simply decline. I am not really the kind of reporter you fear I might be, I think. Merely an investigative journalist who has become fascinated by certain things which have been reported… and do not match."

"It's alright," Alec told his neighbours. He then met the reporter's eyes. "Ask the question - and I'll tell my friends if they need to toss you out or not," Alec decided. The man smiled, and the smile was a genuine one.

"Well - may I sit?" At Alec's nod, the man sat down, politely ordering a drink from John, who was back in his place, keeping careful tabs on them in the still only half full place. "There has been a large amount of speculation about your and Bane's relationship. A lot of predictable words have been tossed around; but there has been no indication - what I can find - that they actually fit you two. You seem a perfectly happy, loving couple to me, uneager to prove anything and perfectly suited. So, I guess if I am to ask one question, it'd be _why_. How does it come that a very down-to-earth young man like yourself and somebody as extravagant - and, to be truthful, quite frightening - as Magnus Bane, seem to have unlocked the secret to true love?"

Alec smiled in response, nodding to Alaric who was hovering nearby, that he didn't mind; and the stranger didn't need to be tossed out. Alaric sat down nearby with a mouthed, "Let me know if you need help." John, too, gave the man his drink with the information that the moment Alec asked for it, he'd be shown the door. The strange journalist apparently accepted this easily.

Meanwhile, Lydia had asked for the man's ID and had been checking him up at the speed of lightning, providing her boss' husband with the useful information that this man really was the believer in true journalism he said to be, and no scandal reporter, out for a quick scoop. It'd be reasonably safe to respond; would he want to.

"I guess," Alec finally answered, sipping his apple juice, "that it is mostly because I don't know the Magnus that you do. I have gotten the question before how I can be with somebody so intimidating, so easily; and the honest truth is that I'm simply _not_. I'm aware of his… well, well-known and very frightening board-room persona, but that's not who he _is_ with me. He has never turned that side of himself on me; I cannot see more than anybody else can how anybody could live with anyone so daunting and unapproachable, but to me… he's the person I love, and - perhaps more importantly - I'm the person _he_ loves.

To me, he's my partner and soulmate, the one I solve all problems alongside and love more than anyone; perhaps my siblings excluded. That's a draw. I see him like nobody else ever do; petting his cat with makeup done on only one eye. It's not the same."

"Thank you, that is very enlightening; and interesting. If you'd want to, I'd love a full interview," the man took a sip of his beer. "It need not be exhaustive, and you need not answer any questions you do not like to answer. And if you need to consult your lawyer about it, pleased do. I'll let you read it before publishing, even."

"Maybe another time," Alec decided, and the man nodded, not prodding further. Not that he could, being watched in a hawk-like way by not only John and Alaric, but several others.

A few weeks later, the short interview with Alec Bane was published - with full permission from the first branch of Bane Inc that could be reached - and Alec's sweet, honest reply was written as it had been spoken exactly.

It was read out loud in the bar, the next time Alec came in; this time accompanied not by his hound, but by his husband, and Magnus couldn't help but give his Alexander a kiss, when hearing it. It was, after all, truth in its best form.

 _I do not mean to cause offence to journalists with this chapter., There is a large number of very good reporters out there; whose hard work help protect our democracy and push our society forwards. Thank you, to all of you guys. All credit to you. Unfortunately - and as this chapter is noting - there's even more of the other kind, looking merely for quick clickbait and taking little or no note of people's privacy._

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	36. Good Parents, Bad Parents

_And now, the time has come to save Max! No copyright infringement is intended. Only fluff is intended._

 _Warnings: for psychological child abuse, and parents being utterly and completely hateful towards their own sons._

 _No copyright infringement is intended._

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If Robert and Maryse Lightwood's mediocre and - to be truthful, not very clever - lawyer had been a bit brighter, he would have been afraid the moment he stepped into the courtroom to find Ragnor Fell already positioned, eyes gleaming and a polite smile on his face; an expression which still managed to be almost… _feral_.

As it was, the trial became almost a laughable farce. The Lightwood's lawyer started with bringing up something from the business-world; just how persuasive a man like Magnus Bane could be, and - perhaps unprofessionally - he brought up the persistent rumour from amongst business-associates; that Bane was just as impressive a force outside of the boardroom and controlled his young husband utterly. How healthy, he posed, would it be for a young boy to be brought up in such circumstances?

Not only was this man not very good at his job, he also did it in a very predictable way. Ragnor Fell had seen the move coming from a mile away and had already let Alexander Bane see a psychologist, to see what the judgement on this would be.

As this expert was brought to give witness in the court, her verdict was very plain and decided. Alexander Bane _did_ show signs of having been oppressed, but they were old ones, healing scars, and she judged that his husband was a very good help to his healing. "I have seen the signs plenty, from children growing up with psychologically abusive parents," she concluded, bringing the count to consider an entirely different question than was intended by _Lightwood's_ lawyer.

From there, Ragnor Fell could easily move events in his own clients' favour, and bringing Cat to the stand, witnessing over the images of Isabelle's injury - from her mother's hand - the court was swaying quite heavily towards one direction, even before the judge gently questioned Max.

"Maxwell Lightwood, that is your name?" She asked him carefully, watching the young boy who did not quite meet her eyes; instead looking down towards the ground. He nodded, however, in response to the question.

"Your brother wants you to come live with him. Would you yourself prefer that, or to stay with your parents?" She asked him softly, threading very gently. He shrugged. She had to prod several more times, before there was a reply which shook them all.

"I don't want to ruin anything for Alec," the eleven-year-old finally confessed. "M-mother said that it was my fault that father was… un-un-faithful, that I _ruin_ everything, that I'm _toxic_ …" At this point, almost everyone in the room had gasped, "I wouldn't want to destroy my brother's life, too… I love Alec… it'd be lovely, though," he added, in a very low voice, sounding almost wistful. "I'd love to live with him and Magnus…"

At this point, the boy was almost in tears, but he wasn't alone. No one stopped his brother as he almost ran to his little brother to hug him, whispering fervently, and loud enough to be discerned.

"That's a _lie_. You don't ruin _anything_ , it was _not_ your fault; and Magnus and I would _both_ love to have you. Don't believe her for a _moment_. She _hit_ Isabelle. Does that sound right to you?" As his little brother looked up, Alec repeated himself, voice strong and sure now.

"Maryse _lied_. Max, it was _certainly_ not your fault. _She_ is cruel and _he's_ an unfaithful bastard. _I_ love you, and _Magnus_ is a nice guy. You won't ruin us. It was _never you_." At this point, both the judge and Ragnor Fell warned him for his language, but the judge was very mild about it, and the lawyer was merely being professional. It rather sounded, in fact, as if they both agreed, if anything.

* * *

It took a while for the court to come back to peace, and when they did, the judge had only one question. What, with the Bane family being a tad… disjointed, living in so many places, were the plans for bringing up a child?

"We will play it by ear for now," Magnus Bane spoke confidently. "When Max has recovered, he will go to school - we will decide then if our country house in Northern Indiana will be best for him, or if we shall reside in New York, still. I work there, but I can easily move back and forth, if Alexander prefers to stay away from the city to raise his brother."

"Both you and your husband have jobs, I believe?" The judge prodded further, intent on exterminating this last question before she granted custody of a child to his siblings and brother-in-law. At a nod, she continued. "If you are both busy, do you have a plan for his care?"

"He does have a sister, with yet another schedule; _one_ of us will always have time. Besides, if we should all be busy, my father is quite eager to help as well," Magnus smirked, "he states it will be the nearest he will ever get to grandchildren, and he wants to be involved. He does tour occasionally, still, but not as much as he used to; and he did raise a boy on tour before, too."

Needless to say, Alexander Bane and Isabelle Lightwood were granted full custodianship of their little brother. Perhaps more surprisingly, in the upset and confusion of such a sudden change of circumstances, Max Lightwood took to Asmodeus Bane - who was brilliant with kids, it seemed - and two weeks after the court case, the youngest and oldest members of the family had left together for Italy.

They formed quite a bond, and while Alexander always liked to gather _all_ of his family as much as possible, everyone spent their time where it suited them best, and with this, they were all pleased.


	37. Happy Ever After

_This is the final chapter of this story, which I hope you have all enjoyed. I'd warmly appreciate reviews. The last scene is indeed a reference to the Malec "first time" in the series, but I mean no copyright infringement and absolutely no offence. I am just writing for my and your entertainment, and nothing else._

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Alec drew a deep breath. He was lying on his injured side, in what he dimly recalled his sister had called the safest position to sleep in, if it was not too painful. He didn't feel any pain at all.

His ribs had been broken three days ago, and while the Iratze had helped, it could not completely heal them. Magnus, too, had been helpful, and when he was through, there was no bruises or cuts to be seen, but it was safest to let the bones set on their own, so he was left to whither in bed, forced to rest. Well, until now, that was.

Now, he woke up restrained with what certainly felt like leather cuffs, but there was no way for him to truly know. He couldn't look in this angle, and either way, it was too dark to see anyway. Well, at least it was better than bed-rest. Except he was still lying down. Letting him get up would be the _least_ thing the kidnappers could do, in his opinion.

There was magic, too, just out of reach; restraining him, just shy of touching, keeping him still and safe... for the moment. Yet, the smells were very curiously familiar, and while Alec usually hated magic, he felt no dread. It was odd. He felt almost safe.

Straining his senses in order to try and pick something up - anything, really - Alec caught a whiff of a smell that didn't seem to fit. It smelt like... chicken. Then, of course, the magic touched his skin, and then he _knew_. It was so simple, and so inevitable. He knew that very moment, that there was no escape. Sighing, Alexander Lightwood reluctantly gave in to his unavoidable fate.

* * *

"It was bizarre. I had… wings, maybe? I was definitely an angel or something like that, and you were this… powerful and slightly evil-seeming wizard - you called yourself a warlock - and I had broken ribs and my sister had kidnapped me for you, or something. It was…" Alex shook his head, leaning against the counter of their kitchen.

"Confusing, it sounds like," Magnus chuckled over his coffee cup. He was sitting at their kitchen table, in their country home. "As long as I wasn't mean to you, because that…" "No, no. I think we were a couple. You were absolutely looking after me, taking my pain away and keeping me safe. I was a tad pissed off, I think, but I calmed down…" Alec rolled his eyes.

"It seems fairly nice to dream about, then," Magnus settled, sipping his coffee and regarding his husband with warm eyes. "Confusing or not."

It had been several years since they'd gotten the custody of Alec's little brother, but they had hardly raised him. Max had grown supremely fond of his self-proclaimed godfather, and he had ended up going to school first in London and then in Florence, of all places, staying with predominantly Asmodeus for years.

Seeing as his little brother had been worried about driving a wedge between him and Magnus - especially as they probably would end up living partly apart - Alexander had eventually just accepted that it suited them all that Asmodeus got to keep Max. After all, Ragnor and Asmodeus had raised Magnus, and he had had a _thoroughly_ happy childhood. Besides, Maryse had made Max anxious about ruining things, for anybody, and Asmodeus was a happy bachelor anyway.

Alexander pushed away from the bench and went past the refrigerator to his husbands waiting arms. Said hardware had pictures on it of Isabelle and Meliorn's firstborn child - a beautiful little girl - held there by fridge magnets coming from Isabelle's "home" range. In the past few years, she had chosen not to return to medical school and she was now quite the successful fashion designer.

That both father and son Bane wore her creations as early as her first collection had helped matters, perhaps, but the talent was all her own. Unlike her brother, who was well dressed only because his husband filled his wardrobe, and he did so with great names without fault.

With the confidence of someone who knows they will not be refused, Alexander didn't stop by Magnus' chair, but chose to instead drag him up and out of it. Hodge did indeed know everything, and it had been years since any such bruises had marred Alec's skin.

While Magnus laughed and teased him about just what he'd like to dress him in, Alexander shoved his completely unresisting husband through their bedroom door.

They may not have walked the straightest path to get there, but life was perfect; and they all lived happily, ever, after.


End file.
